tant is needed to turn the switch on the back of the headset.
5. Keep a few options on hand
While finding a single option that all your surgeons love is ideal, some-
times it's just not possible. You may even come away from a trial with
more than 1 headlight purchase. This is particularly true in larger hos-
pitals or those multispecialty facilities that have both surface-work
and deep-cavity procedures. In these cases, I suggest purchasing
"fleets" of headlights, instead of a bunch of individual units, so that
you have plenty of battery packs and wall chargers.
Some facilities find success in having both tethered fiber optic, and
cordless LED options. Having both can help satisfy the needs of a broad
range of surgeons and specialties. Other facilities keep 2 LED options
on hand — a lighter option with less intense light for surface work, and
a more robust option for open procedures. I have 2 LED cordless head-
lights and use both extensively — a lightweight model for surface inci-
sions on MIS spine cases just before using the microscope, and a high-
output option for my spine procedures where I work with a general sur-
geon. Note that this shouldn't dramatically alter your costs since the
styles of lights tend to be close in price. Instead of purchasing 20 units
of the same LED model, you would just purchase 10 and 10 through the
same vendor and still ask for the bulk-buy discount.
If you're trying to move away from your coaxial units to cordless LED
headlights, consider keeping 2 or 3 of the old sets on the shelves after
you've made your purchase. This lets the reluctant surgeon choose
when to switch to the LED model — which will happen when he sees
the mobility and quality of his colleagues' cordless headlights. OSM
9 4
O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5
Dr. Huler (rhulermd@gmail.com) is an orthopedic surgeon who
specializes in spine surgery at OrthoIndy and Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital in Indianapolis.
