instruments. There
are limited tools and
instruments avail-
able, and they're
better suited for cer-
tain procedures, like
GYN."
While surgeons
seem to like the
robot, Ms. Hrnicek
says her docs
weren't thrilled with
the standalone 3D
systems they trialed.
"It's quite cumbersome to keep putting the glasses on and off," she
says. "Plus, they seem to give you a headache."
Another newcomer on the scene is image enhancement technolo-
gy, which goes beyond better resolution and instead uses digital or
optical processors to cut through smoke or fog on the screen, or
intensify colors to distinguish vascularization of tissue. Ms.
Hrnicek's facility trialed a system that offers intraoperative fluores-
cent imaging. You inject patients pre-operatively with a green dye
that then enhances certain anatomical features in the operative
field when you change your video system's settings from white
light to fluorescent light. Her surgeons especially appreciated how
it improved views for laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
2
Clear lenses
Fog, debris, blood and smoke can all smudge lenses during
laparoscopy. Fogging is especially tough. You can take steps to
4 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
• PREVENTING FOG Placing your scope in a scope warmer before surgery helps pre-
vent the lens from fogging.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
