I have previously posted about my research on the use of high definition TV (HDTV) for surgical endoscopy. I am honored to have participated in the evaluation of the highest resolution surgical system ever created which I used to capture the footage showcased in the amazing upcoming National Geographic HD special “Inside The Living Body” which will be the first surgical procedure broadcast in HD.
What’s also new is that this system allowed me to record footage that will be seen by the lay public in their living room that is higher resolution and quality than virtually any surgeon has ever seen in the OR!
More.I will say that most surgeons I know are quite pleased if their laparoscope isn't fogging throughout the procedure with no picture. Barely half the monitors at the hospitals I deal with are even LCD, and they are the older CRT's. Surgery HD is a long way off from the masses at this point unless someone can show the benefit.
Recall that everything used in a hospital costs a ton of money once it gets the medical moniker attached to it. A few years ago, the VCR that a radiologist was using to record barium swallows broke. For a Sony "Medical VCR" they wanted over two thousand grand for it. He kept fighting with administration over the price tag as they didn't want to go for it. After a few months, he finally got fed up, went down to the local Best Buy, and picked one up for a hundred bucks, and of course it worked just as well. I can only imagine how much surgery in HD is going to cost when we consider all of the equipment involved, going for ten times more than in the consumer market.Medicine TagHealth Tag
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While there are many benefits for patients of minimally invasive surgery, it is not at all ergonomic for the surgeon. I know some surgeons that argue that using the Davinci robot system is the safest way to avoid it. However, not all surgery will be done that way as that is a 2 million dollar device. In the meantime, the wrist can certainly be affected by the reptitive motion of laparoscopy.
