by
Barbara Kram, Editor | August 12, 2009
This report originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News.
Recent advances in surgical techniques can be seen, quite literally, through the lens of the O/R microscope. Optical precision, focal and lighting advances have led to the ability to perform such breakthroughs as the recent, news-making face and hand transplants, which were done with the aid of Leica instruments.
"The high-level nerve and blood vessel restoration-all those things would not be possible without surgical microscopes. So it's really advanced what we can do and the success rate in surgery," said Betsy Schwartz, Director of Marketing, Surgical Division, Leica Microsystems, Inc. She noted neurosurgical advances in particular.
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"Spine is the latest true growth market for surgical microscopes, including neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons," Schwartz said. "Traditionally, orthopedic surgeons were not trained with and did not use surgical microscopes, but now they are starting to see the advantages."
Other key fields where the technology is commonly applied are ophthalmology, ENT, plastic reconstructive surgery, urology, OB/GYN, and dentistry.
The undisputed market leaders in the field are Leica and Zeiss, which are akin to Coke and Pepsi in their near-total dominance worldwide. Both companies are known for sublime optics coveted by surgeons. The differences are in some specialized features that each brings to the table.
The Carl Zeiss Invertertube
enables an ergonomically
correct seated position for
surgeons
For example, Carl Zeiss Meditec's OPMI Lumera microscopes are widely used in both anterior and posterior surgery. Cataract excision is the world's most-performed surgical procedure. In fact, every 20 seconds a patient in the U.S. has cataract surgery performed with a ZEISS microscope. The company's OPMI Lumera instrument is popular for its Stereo Coaxial Illumination (SCI): a light source that runs parallel and coaxial with the surgeon's line of sight, allowing high-contrast detail recognition and brilliant red reflex.
"The enhanced red reflex and the improvement in contrast are most helpful for seeing microscopic details of the anterior and posterior capsule," said David F. Chang, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at University of California, San Francisco.
