Instrumentation and setup for endoscopic plastic surgery.

The use of endoscopic techniques mandates the need for basic understanding of endoscopic instrumentation and operating room setup in order to avoid procedural delays and surgeon frustration. The electronic systems for endoscopic surgery-cameras, light sources, monitors, and so on-have been well developed for other specialties and are fully adaptable to endoscopic plastic surgical procedures. Hand instruments, however, are in the early phases of refinement for subcutaneous plastic surgical procedures and will undoubtedly improve over the next several years. Adaptation of existing instrumentation and development of new operating tools continue and promise to make endoscopic plastic surgical procedures of the future more ergonomic and efficient. Similarly, while operating room setup for endoscopic plastic surgical procedures varies depending on individual circumstances, application of a few basic principles will help in making this step quick and simple. The knowledge and experience of scrub technicians and nurses experienced in endoscopic techniques can be invaluable to the surgeon just beginning to use endoscopic techniques in plastic and reconstructive surgery.