This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
3-D system offers advantages for learning surgery
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
VIENNA — There is no reason to be afraid of using a heads-up 3-D viewing modality to perform surgery because the advantages are immediately appreciated when surgeons try it, according to one specialist.
“The 4K Ngenuity system (Alcon) is the new era of vitrectomy surgery, but many of our colleagues are afraid of looking into a monitor and not directly on their hands. The truth is that there is no learning curve for experienced surgeons. You sit there and just do it. It comes completely natural,” Athanasios Nikolakopoulos, MD, said at the Euretina meeting.
The system now offers high-definition resolution, and image depth, clarity and color contrast are better than through the microscope.
“Take into account that when your accommodation starts going down, this system will allow you to maintain depth of vision, no matter how old you are,” Nikolakopoulos said.
Training for young surgeons on the 3-D system is provided at the Thessaloniki Vitreo-Retinal Summer School in June each year.
“This year we developed an Ngenuity wet lab system with all the updated technologies. By using bionic artificial eyes from Miami, students could learn to do lens removal, macular pucker and retinal detachment surgery and exchange of silicone oil watching the screen,” he said. “We are educating a generation of surgeons to grow up with 3-D surgery, and the situation is so much like real surgery on real eyes that they learn to overcome fear.” – by Michela Cimberle
Reference:
Nikolakopoulos A. 3D digital vitrectomy evolution: Update by experts. Presented at: Euretina; Sept. 20-23, 2018; Vienna.
Disclosure: Nikolakopoulos reports no relevant financial disclosures.