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O R
T E C H N O L O G Y
STAND OUT
Why Surgeons Love Video Integration
T
he benefits of video integration in the OR are twofold for surgeons. First, if we can see
with high-definition on larger monitors, we may be able to improve surgical outcomes.
Second, the ability to record surgeries from multiple camera angles is useful not only
for teaching, but also for reviewing and advancing our own practices.
I can tell you, the image quality on the monitors in the OR is incredibly detailed — and being
able to offer that to surgeons is good for recruitment. I certainly feel more comfortable operating
with a system like this, because you really can see the minutiae, and maybe catch something
you wouldn't have otherwise. It's not possible to definitively say, "HD and video integration
decrease surgical errors," of course, but there may be a correlation.
The ability to record is also invaluable. Yes, surgeons are all busy, but we have to make time to
sit down and review procedures, whether alone or with peers, so we can ensure continuous
improvement. There's a quality improvement effort in Michigan to which bariatric surgeons can
submit video and get feedback from peers, and outcomes have improved.
It's entirely possible that, sometime in the near future, video will be used for credentialing purposes and in peer review, and that insurers will start requiring that video be attached to the
patient's EMR file. We're already putting still pictures in for documentation purposes with the integrated video system, and I don't see any reason these kinds of efforts will slow, as quality improvement is the name of the healthcare game. Further, having these capabilities and using them to their
full potential sets your facility apart — for surgeons, accreditation bodies and payors.
— Esteban Varela, MD
Dr. Varela (varelae@wustl.edu) is a Washington University bariatric surgeon at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital in St. Louis.
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2013
