title: A brief history of minimally invasive plastic surgery.
abstract: It could be argued that a basic principle establishing plastic surgery as a distinct specialty always has been minimal invasive surgery. Although perhaps lagging behind the other surgical specialties specifically in adopting the surgical endoscope, this merely is a new tool to better achieve just that objective. Outcome enhancements initially predominated in aesthetic applications, but widespread use also in reconstructive endeavors has proved that there is indeed today a broad role for minimally invasive plastic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, The Lehigh Valley Hospitals and Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania; and St. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Geoffrey G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hallock