nal walls of obese patients. "Trying to make up the distance between
your camera and anatomy in the pelvis or abdomen can be quite chal-
lenging," he explains.
Dr. Maykel also points out that zooming in on anatomy from a dis-
tance while still achieving crisp, clear views of tissue keeps the cam-
era head away from the action where smoke and condensation on the
lens can ruin the surgeon's view, no matter how high the definition is
on the screen he's watching.
Ultra-high-def video is arguably most helpful to abdominal surgeons,
who rely on visual cues as they move sharp instruments around deli-
cate anatomy during complex procedures, but orthopedic surgeons
can also benefit from enhanced views as they hammer away at joints.
Patrick Smith, MD, of the Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group, oper-
ates with the Arthrex Synergy 4K System and says the technology pro-
vides incredible depth perception and clarity, which lets him see the
details of cartilage injury more definitively and assess how much dis-
eased cartilage he needs to trim. He says the platform also brightens
dark areas in the back of joints, which lessens the impact the fluid
and debris in joints has on views within the joint space.
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