Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Head and Neck

Minimally invasive surgery is a viable option in the head and neck and is advisable for young patients particularly concerned with cosmetic outcomes. Careful patient selection is necessary; nature, size of the swelling, and its proximity to the site of incision are all factors to be considered to get the optimum results. Subjects with previous radiation or surgery in the neck and suspected cases of recurrent infection or in the acute inflammatory stage should be excluded from endoscopic surgery. Advantages of endoscopic resection include better visualization and magnified view of dissection areas avoiding injury of important structures, small incision, an inconspicuous or hidden scar, excellent postoperative comfort, and short hospital stay. Disadvantages are the necessity to have an endoscope, special instruments, and specific surgical training. Endoscopic parathyroidectomy, thyroidectomy, resection of lateral cervical cysts, extraction of epidermal cysts on the face, submandibular sialadenectomy, parotidectomy, and even nodal neck dissection have all been successfully treated through endoscopic approaches. This chapter covers the minimally invasive surgical procedures applied in the head and neck and discusses its indications and outcomes.