Endoscopic ear surgery has gained increasing popularity starting from the early 2000s, introducing new anatomical, physiological and surgical concepts in ear and lateral skull base surgery. Its development has brought new scientific knowledge, thus improving surgical technique with a minimally invasive attitude. The aim of this perspective is to review and summarize all the steps that brought endoscopic ear surgery from a surgery practiced by a few teams to a worldwide recognized advancement in otology.
Keywords: ear surgery; endoscope; endoscopic ear surgery; endoscopy; lateral skull base; middle ear; transcanal.