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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT 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
1. Brightness
It's no surprise that physicians who routinely depend on headlights to
enhance their view of the surgical site rank the brightness and focus
of the illumination as the most important factor in their choice of
equipment.
The good news is, that still leaves you with a lot of options. "The
light intensity and light transmission in almost all the lights available
now are very good," says Guy Voeller, MD, FACS, a professor of sur-
gery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis
and a former president of the American Hernia Association.
In making your purchasing decision, trust the hands-on, eyes-on trial
and don't rely too much on marketing materials. "The brightness of
light as quantified in lux numbers isn't always an accurate representa-
tion," since the light that reflects off of shiny instruments at the site can
influence what you see, says Sanford Archer, MD, a professor of oto-
laryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of Kentucky
College of Medicine in Lexington.
Never mind the numbers, Dr. Archer advises. Put the light to the test
in real situations, the narrow cavities and the types of cases you'll see.
"It's critical to trial headlights at the focal lengths needed," he says.
Stephen Cohen, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS, who practices at Atlanta
(Ga.) Colon and Rectal Surgery and who chairs the department of sur-
gery at Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Ga., agrees. "I
always trial headlights on cases where I know it's going to be dark," he
says. "In the pelvis, where you're constantly looking around corners, or
the anorectum, where the higher you go, the less light there is."
2. Consistency and control
In addition to the light's depth of focus, the width of its illumination is
important. "You don't want a little beam, you need a wide field of
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