Point-of-view technology to teach surgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Surgical Training Innovations
• Wearable Camera Applications

Background:

• Limited opportunities for surgical procedural training hinder skill development.
• Trainee perspectives during surgery differ significantly from the operating surgeon's viewpoint.
• Technological integration offers novel solutions for supervised surgical instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using GoPro cameras for recording surgical operations.
• To evaluate the utility of wearable cameras for surgical education.
• To gather perspectives from surgical and technical teams on camera use in the operating room.

Main Methods:

• A wearable GoPro camera was utilized to record standard surgical operations.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinical and technical personnel.
• Post-recording editing was performed using Techsmith Camtasia Studio 9®.

Main Results:

• No interference with operative sterility, procedure length, or operating room function was observed.
• Clinical personnel found the camera acceptable for use during surgery.
• Surgeons noted the headband was tight and the camera heavy; limited battery life was a concern.

Conclusions:

• Wearable cameras, like GoPro, are feasible for recording surgical procedures from the surgeon's perspective.
• Recorded videos serve as valuable adjunctive educational tools for surgical trainees.
• This technology has potential for cross-discipline medical teaching and creating educational video libraries.