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I N T R A O P
V I S U A L I Z A T I O N
AMBIENT AID
Green Light Improves Views
7 2
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 | N O V E M B E R 2013
Jason Meehan
J
ames Atkinson, MD, used to
operate in darkened ORs during laparoscopic cases to better see images on high-definition
monitors and to improve his depth
perception. But then he toured a guided missile carrier docked in San
Francisco.
"The fire control center was packed
with staff manning video displays,"
says the chief of pediatric surgery
SOFT GLOW Green ambient light mainand senior medical director of transi- tains image quality and brightens the sterile field's perimeter.
tion at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.
"Instead of having the lights on high
or dimmed, the room was bathed in green light, which the Navy has used for
years to enhance video images and lessen eyestrain for the crew."
Now all 50 ORs at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center feature the option
to turn off the main OR lights and switch to green ambient light.
But many laparoscopic surgeons still like to work with overhead lights
dimmed to improve the quality of images on video monitors, leaving the rest
of the surgical team to work in near darkness. The drawbacks of working in
a darkened room are many: Patient and staff safety could be jeopardized if
nurses have trouble reading medication labels, identifying needed supplies
or failing to see floor-level obstacles such as cords or equipment.
At the 2011 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists,
researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston touted the benefits of green ambient light in the OR. Bathing ORs in the light during mini-
