Endoscopy

“What changed the image of endoscopy in the mind of the surgical community and turned arthroscopy, cholecystectomy . . . and numerous other endoscopic surgical techniques into common operative procedures? The introduction of the small medical video camera attachable to the eyepiece of the arthroscope or laparoscope was an initial major step. French surgeons were the first to develop small, sterilizable, high-resolution video cameras that could be attached to a laparoscopic device. With the further addition of halogen high-intensity light sources with fiber-optic connections, surgeons were able to obtain bright, magnified images that could be viewed on a video monitor by all members of the surgical team rather than by just the surgeon alone. This technical development had consequences . . . including suturing and surgical reconstruction done only with videoendoscopic vision” (Lenoir, 29).