say that their surgeons want these perceived advantages. "It's not yet
available in every OR, so there's a competition for resources," says one
clinical director whose facility uses a standalone 3D system. Others,
though, say they just don't see a need for it currently. "The surgeons just
have no interest in it," notes one manager. Several also say that while
their docs wanted 3D systems a few short years ago, surgeons now see
them as "outdated" as other systems have advanced.
Beyond high-res images
Image enhancement systems look beyond higher resolution or improved
depth perception, and instead attempt to show the viewer what the
human eye can't see on its own. Several types of technologies are lumped
into the "image enhancement" category. There are optical enhancement
systems, such as narrow band or fluorescence imaging, which use either
injected dye or filtered light to show contrast-enhanced views of the sur-
gical surface. Some respondents say these are helpful to see a structure's
blood flow or to help avoid bile duct injuries during laparoscopic chole-
8 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 6
a technology is a good value in terms of cost versus expected bene-
fits.
7
Don't forget about printing. Mr. Huffman notes that by
upgrading his system, the center went from purchasing
generic photo paper from the local office supply store to
having to purchase special cassettes for the towers, increasing
his expected annual printing budget by more than $35,000.
Double-check the fine print for printing costs, he stresses, or
better yet, look for systems that will digitally send PDFs to
patients and your EMRs.
— Kendal Gapinski