5 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E M A R C H 2 0 1 7
ble," says Yuman Fong,
MD, chief of surgery at
City of Hope (Calif.)
Medical Center and co-
author of the book
Imaging and
Visualization in the
Modern Operating
Room. "But most facili-
ties have 1080 (high-
definition) cameras or
less, so 4K monitors don't help them."
That lack of universality was a deal-breaker, says Lori Dostalek, RN, BSN,
CNOR, the OR manager at Aurora Health Care, which opened in October 2016
and offers a wide range of specialties. "We considered 4K, but it would have
required investing in specialty cameras and lenses," she says.
Instead, they chose a universal system so all the lenses and camera heads in
the facility would be interchangeable. "The system we got also had laparoscopic
lenses and arthroscopic lenses," she says, "so that was very beneficial to all the
surgeons who operate here."
The cost of 4K continues to make it a big-ticket item — too big, says Dr. Fong,
who remains skeptical of the price, though less skeptical than he used to be.
"Two years ago, I'd have said it was a bad investment," he says. "It was very,
very expensive. Now it's much cheaper, but I still think the price is too high."
Seaside Surgery Center, which opened in November 2015 and specializes in out-
patient total joints, spent around $250,000 to add 4K imaging to its 2 ORs. It
wasn't just a good investment, it was a great one, says Cindy Schuetz, RN, the cen-
ter's administrator. "Insurance reimbursement is often sketchy," she acknowl-
edges, "so cost is a big piece of what we consider, but we also want quality."
To be sure they'd end up with the quality they insisted on, her center trialed 4
• COMFORT LEVEL Standardization was important to leaders at Aurora Health Care, because
the center's surgeons also operate in nearby hospitals.
Aurora
Health
Care
