Outpatient Surgery Magazine

What Surgeons Want - November 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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• 4K HD. Perched atop the food chain of arthroscopic visualiza- tion is 4K ultra-high-definition with its rich spectrum of colors, vivid depth perception and lifelike clarity. When high-def cameras and monitors came along, we wondered how we ever got along without them. And many of us assumed that was about as good as it could get. But as the 4K pioneers and pur- veyors will tell you, the incremental leap from HD to 4K may be even more impactful. Some 4K systems even let you optimize your view depending on the kind of work you're doing — laparoscopic, arthroscopic or endoscopic. But the reality is that for many — if not most — 4K is out of reach, at least for the time being. As prices come down and facilities transition, it may become the new stan- dard, but for now, most of us are still working in simple high-def mode. Fortunately, however, there are other tools and techniques we can use to achieve the visual acuity we seek. • Through the fog. The technology that helps military person- nel see their way through clouds, smoke and other harsh air and land conditions has been co-opted by at least one manufacturer to help surgeons see their way through the fog, smoke and debris of arthroscopy. A sophisticated algorithm can brighten images in dark and posterior compartments of joints, desaturate colors and use edge enhancement to increase the detail and contrast of specific structures. Is it cost-effective? The manufacturer says so. I can't say for certain, but if it shortens the length of surgery by allowing you to spend less time dealing with smoke, blood, cloudy water and other debris, it seems likely. We all know how expensive every minute of OR time is. N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 7

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