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such as inadvertent injuries caused when trocars nick the bowel or electrosurgical instruments cause stray current burns. "The smaller the camera, the less range of field you have," says Dr. Baxt. "The 5mm doesn't get as much of a wide-angle view, and you lose a little of the peripheral vision." (See "The Close-Up, Wide-Angle Camera" for a possible solution to this common dilemma.)
Other viewpoints
Articulating laparoscopic instruments approximate the workings of the human hand. Flexible laparoscopes with articulating camera tips, however, give the devices a neck. They address the limits on peripheral vision by letting users turn their minimally invasive views to the sides and see what's around the corner.
Laparoscopic visualization with precise articulation pair up in robotic surgery. "The greatest visualization you can get is through a robot," says Dr. Gorjala. "The binocular camera and eyepiece provide huge depth perception."
Surgical robots also offer the viewing surgeon a third benefit. "What's great about robots," says Dr. Gorjala, "is that laparoscopic surgeons are not generally working in an ergonomic posture, and over time they'll suffer chronic neck and back pain as a result. With the robot, you're sitting down away from the site, and you do things more ergonomically."
