Pros and Cons of the Exoscope for Otologic Surgery

Introduction. There are a few discussions regarding usefulness of an exoscope in otologic surgery compared to a traditional microscope. Objective. The pros and cons of using a newly developed exoscope (ORBEYE™) during microotologic surgery were evaluated. Methods. The usefulness of the ORBEYE™ exoscope was retrospectively assessed in 6 otologic surgeries by 8 surgeons postoperatively. A questionnaire comprising 20 questions was designed and used for evaluation. Results. All the otologic surgeons agreed that the exoscope is useful as an educational tool; the exoscope had the highest score in the questionnaire (average: 4.75). The question "Will the ORBEYE^TM exoscope replace the conventional tympanoplasty or stapes surgery?" had the lowest score (average: 3.13). Conclusions. The quality of the images and movies in the exoscope was considered to be high and improved; therefore, the exoscope was considered as a useful educational tool in otologic surgery. Similar to otologic endoscopic surgery, all the members such as the operator and assistants could head up and share 1 image.