end, we purchased 8 LED and 3 coaxial headsets. Fortunately, our sur-
geons still love them. Here are 5 takeaways that may help you make a
successful purchase.
1. Know your audience
Different surgical specialties have different lighting needs. Hand, ENT,
oral maxillofacial and plastic surgery are typically performed at short-
er working distances of 14 to 18 inches, with relatively more shallow
surface surgical exposures. On the other hand, minimal access poste-
rior, lateral and anterior spine surgeries involve small incisions with
deep working portals and long working distances of 18 to 24 inches.
Most companies tout their headlight's lux number — the higher the
lux, the brighter the light. Surface-work surgeons may be fine with
lightweight devices with lower light output while your spine and gen-
eral surgeons likely require more robust lighting with larger, tightly
focused spot illumination. Knowing these differences can shape your
shopping experience.
2. Study the options
My hospital looked at 2 headlight options — tethered coaxial systems
and battery LED cordless headsets. Personally, I enjoy the freedom,
light coloration and uncluttered environment my LED headlamp pro-
vides. But, there are other options out there. Bulb types used in contem-
porary surgical lighting include halogen, xenon and metal halide with
their light transmitted via coaxial cables from a light source. Solid-state
light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs act as their own source, needing only
an electrical current for power. LED lights need only 7 to 13 watts of
power, so battery-powered models are a new option. Each of these
styles has benefits and drawbacks.
Some surgeons enjoy tethered fiber optic headlamps since they are
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