The Role of the "O.R. Personnel" for Operative Gynecologic Endoscopy

The role of the operating room personnel in gynecologic surgery has changed dramatically during the past decade. This change has been a result of the development of gynecologic endoscopy, and more importantly, due to the addition of the videocamera to the laparoscope and hysteroscope. The attachment of the videocamera to the laparoscope and hysteroscope during surgery so that everyone present can follow the procedure on the videomonitor and appropriately anticipate the surgeon's needs has created an entirely new involvement for operating room personnel. This has made the contribution by personnel so important that many hospitals have recognized the need for an "endoscopy team." The "endoscopy team" generally refers to the surgeon, surgical assistant, scrub nurse or technician, nurse circulator, and laser nurse. Our purpose is to outline in detail the responsibilities of the "endoscopy team" specific to the O.R. personnel involved in these procedures. It is essential for these members of the team to be aware of their role to enable them to provide the appropriate assistance before, during, and after surgery.