You might get used to the 3D glasses in the movie theatre, but have you seen an ophthalmologist wearing 3D glasses and staring at the screen in the operating theatre?

On March 24, two difficult combined cataract and vitreoretinal surgeries are conducted by Prof. FANG Xiaoyun with the help of NCvideoHD, a three-dimensional high-definition visualization system, at the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Eye Hospital.

The success not only indicates that the young SAHZU Eye Hospital is capable of performing difficult three-dimensional vitreoretinal surgeries, but also proves again the excellence of SAHZU ophthalmologists-developed NCvideoHD Visualization System.

The two surgeries require highest precision in the surgical operation as they both target at the macula, a small but important area in the center of the retina. One of the patients is diagnosed with high myopia and retinal tear and detachment in the macula, making the surgery even harder.

However, the stereoscopic image created by the magnified surgical field, the 4K ultra-HD display and the deep depth of the focus of the system could achieve fine rendering of tissue structures and help with the precise positioning of surgical operations. Prof. FANG said, the system is able to reduce intraoperative accidental injuries and ultimately surgical risks.

Additionally, as less light is needed during surgery with the help of the visualization system, not only the damage to the retina caused by the brightness of microsurgery can be reduced, the intraoperative photophobia of patients can be alleviated and the comfortableness during surgery improved.

Moreover, surgeons no longer have to maintain a position of looking down at the microscope during surgery, but raise their heads up instead. This posture change could relieve the neck, upper body, or lower back symptoms that are prevalent among ophthalmologists

The visualization system is also potentially an aide to teaching since the high-resolution view of the surgeon can be shared among multiple people in the same room, or even beyond the operating theatre to let more ophthalmologists from all over the world watch the surgery via 5G network.

SAHZU Eye Center (Hospital) is one of the first in China to carry out three-dimensional eye surgery. As early as 2018, Director of SAHZU Eye Center Prof. YAO Ke and his team worked on the development of NCvideoHD Visualization System and completed a cataract surgery with the system.

The annual volume vitreoretinal surgery at SAHZU Eye Hospital ranks first in Zhejiang Province and is in the leading level in the country. There are 28 operating rooms in the SAHZU Eye Center Hospital, three equipped with the three-dimensional visualization system that can be applied to the treatment of various vitreoretinal diseases for the benefit of more patients with eye diseases.

Source:the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine