Baptist Health of Little Rock has some new technology in the operating room that’s helping to better treat its patients.
Baptist recently acquired a high-definition, 3D surgical video system from Olympus. Baptist says it’s the only hospital in the state to acquire the technology. The system uses a video processor, light source, laparoscope and monitor to allow surgeons to look inside the patient’s body to diagnose, detect and treat a range of conditions while being minimally invasive.
The laparoscopic technique is not new to the medical world. It is widely used in hospitals around the country. In 2013, about 2.8 million procedures were done laparoscopically. Compared to open surgery, the laparoscopic approach reduces pain and hemorrhaging while providing faster recovery times and smaller incision sites.
The addition of a 3D surgical video system to laparoscopy gives back to surgeons some of the depth perception and precision that was lost in the original switch from open surgery to laparoscopic.
“The surgical precision I’m able to achieve with the new 3D system is exceptional,” Dr. Mark Gibbs, a general surgeon with Baptist Health, said in a news release. “It helps me to obtain the critical views I need with a depth perception that is not possible with traditional 2D systems.”
The Olympus system will allow Baptist surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgeries on a universal platform that supports more than 100 different endoscopes used in various specialties.
Some of the benefits of 3D endoscopy are:
- Precise hand-eye coordination through the three-dimensional image of the operating-room environment.
- Realistic presentation of tissue structures in their actual spatial position.
- The shorter learning curve facilitates a safe learning curve for more complex interventions.
- More precise operation, and therefore, more comfort for patients.
- Time-saving, because precise operation (e.g. when positioning a suture) enhances efficiency.
“The acquisition of the Olympus EVIS EXERA III system at Baptist Health will help us achieve our goals to improve the efficiency of our operation, enhance our diagnostic capabilities, and foremost, deliver world-class care to our patients,” Greg Crain, vice president and administrator of Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock, said in the release. “With this advanced technology, we may be able to provide our patients with more accurate diagnoses, shorten their operation times and improve their overall procedural experience.”
The price of the system was not disclosed. But the hospital said funding was provided by the Baptist Health Foundation’s Capital Campaign.
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