ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As the online medium has gained in popularity due to the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, video recording of surgical procedures has become crucial in medical education. Various methods for recording are available but many require professional equipment and experienced personnel. Here, we propose a feasible and acceptable method for video recording of surgeries. METHODS: An M12 mount USB camera, which is based on an Android micro-USB, was utilized. The device was purchased from a website for $32-$40. The camera was mounted between the eyes of the binocular loupes. Surgical procedures were recorded with the camera. The optimal settings were determined according to the types of surgeries. RESULTS: We recorded the following surgical procedures: radial artery superficial palmar branch (RASP) free flap harvest, carpal tunnel release, and free flap operation. The default values were retained for all settings, but the highest image quality (1080 p) was selected with an 8 mm lens. The camera battery was sufficient to record each surgery in its entirety. CONCLUSIONS: The USB camera produced high-quality videos that perfectly matched the surgeon's field of view without the need for additional staff for recording. This low-cost equipment could be widely employed for the recording of educational videos for surgeons, especially in the era of COVID 19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Surgeons , Humans , Smartphone , COVID-19/epidemiology , Video Recording/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 pandemic has made impact both in clinical and educational settings. The number of surgeries has decreased; thus, the surgery videos of all cases are important for both documentation and education. This study aimed to compare three kinds of cameras in recording digestive surgery. METHODS: We compared three cameras: Panasonic HV-770 Full HD Camcorder, Sony FDR-X3000 Action-cam, and Ordro EP7 Hands-Free FPV Camera. Each camera was used in several recording for superficial and visceral digestive surgeries and we compared the following: operation field, image focus, surgeon's comfort, practicality, and record settings. RESULTS: Camcorder needs 10-15 min to set up and longer dismounting time, has steady vantage view and focus, good image quality, can be zoomed, but the recording may be obstructed by the surgeon's head. Action camera needs 5-10 min to set up and the dismounting time was equal between Camcorder and Ordro. Action camera depicts surgeon's vision, however, zoom could not be applied while recording. Sony FDR-X3000 used in this study had good image quality, but the use of this camera in a long surgery may generate neck stiffness due to its weight. Ordro EP7 was comfortable in any surgery but it had inferior image quality compared to the others. CONCLUSIONS: Panasonic HC-V770 and Sony FDR X3000 had good image quality, where camcorder excelled in longer surgeries due to its comfort, action-cam excelled for shorter surgeries due to ease of use and settings. Ordro EP7 was the most comfortable among all but has lowest image quality.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Surgical recording has become very important for digestive surgery skill training in the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to high quality recordings, the directions of vantage points are also important. To assist our vantage point for our camera, we frequently use a laser pointer to increase accuracy in the shooting range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded surgery more than 2 h with a fixed top-mounted Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder and otherwise with an action-cam Sony FDR. We installed a laser Pointer TaffLED Tactical Red Dot Laser Gun Picatinny Mount Airsoft Rifle HJ 11. We compared focus field video recordings with and without laser pointer guiding. We divided them into four groups: head mounted with, head mounted without, top mounted with and top mounted without. We recorded a total of five digestive surgery cases of superficial, visceral, and deep visceral procedures for each group after adjusting the laser pointer direction to the center of the cameras' focus. RESULTS: The laser pointer on camcorder Panasonic HC-V770 can assist recording on operation fields to prevent the field of view from being blocked by movement of an object compared to either camera without laser pointer. The head mounted Sony FDR-X3000 action-cam can easily depict surgeon's eye while recording and be controlled by the slightest movement of the surgeon's head by tracking with a red dot. CONCLUSION: From either mounting, the laser pointer aided in focusing the surgical field of view and could increase visibility for surgical recording.