light. When conducting your trial, just make sure that you have sur-
geons from each of your headlight-wearing specialties involved, and
that you have both surface-work and deep-cavity docs represented.
4. Watch for the little things
You know the big decision factors your surgeons are looking for —
luminescence, comfort, spot fill, coloring — but also ask them to look
for the little things that can end up making a big difference in the OR.
Holding an extended trial will help determine if there are any of these
kinks with the unit.
For example, pay attention to the headset's compatibility with the
surgeon's telescope flip-up loupes (this is less of a problem with TTL
loupes). When a surgeon wears both of these items for an extended
amount of time, they can become tiring and uncomfortable. You cer-
tainly don't want to purchase a $6,000 headlight if your surgeon's
$2,200 loupes can't even be used with it.
Also consider the ergonomics of the battery pack if using cordless
options. While typically these packs are lightweight and easily hot-swap-
pable, there is a difference between one that lets a surgeon, while sterile,
flip the switch to turn it on or off, and one where an un-scrubbed assis-
9 3
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
Tethered Coaxial Cordless Battery LED
lightweight, svelte devices freedom of movement
wide range of low-to-high light output "daylight" light coloration
unlimited hours of electrical supply essentially unlimited bulb life and
inexpensive electrical connections
high maintenance costs some had short battery life
(depending on manufacturer)
Head-to-Head
Headlight Comparison