mal," says Ms. Alexander.
4K is derived from a 3840 x 2160-pixel matrix, or more than 8 mil-
lion pixels compared with standard HD's 2 million pixels. The more
pixels you have on the screen, the better the image quality. This
increased clarity is especially apparent when magnifying images on
large — typically 55-inch — monitors, says Daniel D. Eun, MD, chief
of robotic surgical services at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at
Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. "That's where you can really
see the difference between HD and 4K," he says.
Though there's little research clinically proving that 4K makes a dif-
ference in surgical outcomes, Ms. Alexander says her surgeons are
more than convinced of its benefits, especially since they have
expanded their service line due to their increased ability to see intra-
operatively. Some of her physicians also say the system lets them
complete procedures more quickly and safely because the high level
of definition lets them see every anatomical detail.
"The latest 4K systems also offer more than a pretty picture. At least
one manufacturer's system has an autofocus feature, which keeps the
surgeon's image sharp as he changes location or settings in the surgical
field. Additionally, 4K scopes also come in 5 mm size — an improve-
ment on the larger 10 mm options of the past — and most scopes now
are fully autoclavable to make reprocessing easier.
Some, though, aren't sure that 4K is worth the high cost — at least
not yet. Seeing in 4K means acquiring both 4K-compatible monitors
and cameras, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and
some say their HD images are all they need for now. "Surgical moni-
tors are not necessarily used to diagnose," points out Stacy Lund,
BSN, RN, CNOR, MSSL, director of surgical services at Stanford
Medical Center in Fargo (N.D.).
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