Minimally invasive surgery in otorhinolaryngology

Otorhinolaryngology has always strived to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities of managing afflicted organs by developing technically and conceptually new and advanced treatment techniques. The endeavor to develop methods with minimized patient discomfort during interventional surgery in the head and neck region was an essential motive which gave rise to the discipline of ENT medicine. Since fairly recently, the term "minimally invasive surgery" has become firmly established in the domain of general surgery. The possibility for replacing a substantial number of routine operations by endoscopic procedures with low levels of discomfort for the patient and shorter periods of hospitalization has given the term "minimally invasive" even further wide-ranging significance. The present review endeavors to provide an assessment of the current state-of-the-art in otorhinolaryngology, giving special attention to the historical development and pathophysiological fundamentals of this field.