Baptist gets 3-D surgery equipment

LITTLE ROCK — Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock recently acquired an articulating, high-definition 3-D surgical video system from Olympus. Surgical video systems, through the collaborative use of a video processor, light source, laparoscope and monitor, enable surgeons to peer inside the human body to diagnose, detect and treat a range of diseases and conditions using a minimally invasive approach.

Laparoscopy is performed through small incisions made in the abdomen or pelvis. A videoscope (a laparoscope with a miniature camera built into its tip) allows the surgeon to view the surgery site during an operation.

Laparoscopy has become increasingly common in hospitals, with about 2.8 million procedures (laparoscopic, single-site and robotic-assisted surgeries) performed in the United States in 2013. Compared to open surgery, a laparoscopic approach offers reduced pain, less hemorrhaging, shorter recovery times and better cosmetic results, all a result of smaller incision sites.

However, surgeons lose some of the natural depth perception and precision when migrating from open surgery to laparoscopic surgery. The 3-D videoscope provides three-dimensional, high-definition images that help restore the surgeon’s natural 3-D vision and depth perception. The videoscope’s articulating-tip design makes it possible to view the desired organs and see areas not previously accessible with standard rigid laparoscopes. The result for the surgeon is better sight lines and the ability to peer around anatomical structures and perform more precise grasping, dissection and suturing — something that is lacking in the flat images provided by 2-D imaging systems.

“The surgical precision I’m able to achieve with the new 3-D system is exceptional,” said Dr. Mark Gibbs, a general surgeon with Baptist Health. “It helps me to obtain the critical views I need with a depth perception that is not possible with traditional 2-D systems.”