O
ver the past 2 decades, the
evolution of surgical video
has largely centered on
increasing the quality of images captured in minimally
invasive procedures. "Single chip, triple chip, HD, 3D,
4K: We've spent a lot of time and energy on getting a better picture, on
replicating real life," says Paresh Shah, MD, a professor of surgery and
chief of the general surgery division at NYU Langone Medical Center
in New York, N.Y.
Beyond higher resolution, though, beyond wider screens and depth
perception, another field of imaging technology promises the ability to
show more than real life, with views of anatomy that the human eye
cannot naturally see. Image enhancement technologies, available as
on-demand camera and control unit settings in several manufacturers'
laparoscopic, endoscopic and arthroscopic video systems, deliver a
heightened level of surgical visualization.
Illumination-driven options such as the fluorescence imaging of
injected dye or light filtered down to selected wavelengths enable
contrast-enhanced views of the mucosal surface and the vascular net-
works microns or millimeters beneath it. Other modes apply digital
processing to captured video in order to make anatomical structures
7 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 6
How image enhancement technology improves patient outcomes.
David Bernard
Senior Associate Editor
