title: Rigid anchoring of the forehead to the frontal bone in endoscopic facelifting: a new technique.
abstract: A new method for internal fixation of the skull in endoscopic facelifting has been developed using a so-called V-tunnel drill system which eliminates the need for pins and screws to anchor the suspended forehead. This system consists of a conventional drill and a V-tunnel guide. The technique involves anchoring the scalp by means of galea/periosteal stitches and sewing it to the bone with PDS sutures after a V-shaped tunnel has been drilled in the external table to a depth of 5 mm. The sutures can be easily positioned and stitched through the V-tunnel without endangering the cerebrum. This versatile V-tunnel drill procedure is very easy and simple and has many foreseeable applications.
authors.affiliation: Craniofacial & Plastic Surgery Department, Medical School and University Hospital, Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hoenig
mesh_terms: D019723:Endoscopes; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005546:Forehead / Q000601:surgery*; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015361:Rhytidoplasty / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome