Not everybody agreed on everything. But there was enough consen-
sus to narrow the choices to 2 companies, whom we asked to come
back in for an additional trial period. We eventually decided that image
was the most important feature for our purchase. Looking at the big
screens, we said, 'Yeah, we gotta have that.' For laparoscopic surgery,
sight is the most useful and important sense, even more so than touch.
We believed that image is king, so we wanted a system that gave us the
clearest and sharpest image.
3. Prepare for technical difficulties. Equipment issues don't dis-
appear after installation. The solution for us: an on-site troubleshoot-
er. Our contract included a manufacturer-employed tech who is sta-
tioned on-site at our hospital for 3 years. We wanted a true expert
here who could troubleshoot for us when things go wrong and who
could get us back on track quickly.
In the first 6 months, having someone on site was key and he was
called to the OR more frequently in the beginning. Sometimes we had
a problem with the image or the light quality. Occasionally there was a
camera head or light source problem and he would have to determine
if it was user error or (more rarely) if it needed to be traded out.
The tech also worked closely with the physicians on image enhance-
ment and contrast levels and fine-tuned what each physician wanted to
see. We are now getting more into recording and maybe moving pictures
into our electronic medical records. The tech will be involved in the inte-
gration of those aspects.
4. Be patient with the learning curve. Everybody learns at differ-
ent speeds, and that can be frustrating. "Why does this system do this,
the old system didn't do it that way?"
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