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Image quality
It wasn't long ago that the move from 720p video to 1080p felt
like a huge step for surgeons, but the latest scopes have leapt
past high-definition technology and do more than just add pixels to
the screen. Take 4K ultra-high-definition video, for example, which
features 4 times the resolution of 1080p HD video and more intense
colors. Sue Hrnicek, RN, BSN, director of surgical services at
Columbus (Neb.) Community Hospital, says that her doctors recently
trialed a 4K system and were "in love" with its high-contrast imaging.
"It gives them almost a 3D feel," she explains. "The picture is just so
big and clear."
Though the improved images are its biggest draw, surgeons also
praised 4K's bells and whistles, like its ability to directly import
images into an EMR and email PDFs to patients, says Ms. Hrnicek.
"We really like that it gave you a more enhanced patient experience,"
she says.
4K isn't the only video option that improves your laparoscopic
surgeons' views. Standalone 3D systems and robots are both grow-
ing in popularity. "We do about 1,000 cases a year with the robot. A
lot of our lap surgeons want to adopt it because they feel it
improves visualization," says Kim Mimnagh, MHA, BSN, RN, direc-
tor of surgical services at PinnacleHealth in Harrisburg, Pa.
The 3D video gives surgeons more precise control, she says, espe-
cially when they're suturing or separating tissue in crowded areas of
the body like the abdominal cavity. Ramie Miller, MSN, BSN, RN,
CNOR, PRN, charge nurse at University Medical Center in New
Orleans, La., notes that if it were up to her surgeons, they would use
the robot and its 3D imaging for nearly all of their cases.
"They try to use the robot for anything they can," she says. "But
sometimes it's not financially feasible or feasible with the current
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