"That could have
resulted in a signifi-
cant bile duct
injury," says Dr.
Higa, of Fresno,
Calif. "That's the
potentially devastat-
ing complication of
lap choles that sur-
geons want to avoid
at all costs."
Image enhance-
ment technology is
like operating with X-ray vision and night-vision goggles, according to
Dr. Higa, who says the improved views let him operate more efficiently
and with more confidence. "I'm able to shave several minutes off of my
procedure times," he adds. "At the end of the day and week, that adds
up."
Narrow band imaging
Most surgeons want prime block times and primo parking spaces, but
the docs at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., are
more interested in jockeying for position in front of the hospital's new
ultra-high definition monitors.
Looking at 4K images splashed across big screens in the OR has an
undeniable wow factor that surgeons love. "If I can watch the Patriots
in ultra-high definition at home, why shouldn't I be able to operate
with the technology at work?" asks Justin Maykel, MD, chief of colon
and rectal surgery at UMass Memorial.
Fair enough. (Watching in 4K as my Eagles beat Dr. Maykel's
9 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
• GOING GREEN Near infrared visualization provided by Stryker's 1588 AIM camera and
Pinpoint Endoscopic Fluorescence Imaging System provides real-time looks at blood
flow, tissue perfusion and biliary anatomy.
Stryker
