Digital vs Analog Surgical Visualization for Vitreoretinal Surgery

The future is here now for the surgical viewing experience. By ALAN J. FRANKLIN, MD, PHD • RAMESH SARANGAPANI, PHD • LU YIN, PHD • BURTON TRIPATHI, PHD • CHRISTOPHER RIEMANN, MD May 1, 2017 4 Fifty years ago, the operating microscope was introduced into the ophthalmic surgical suite and became the standard for intraoperative surgical viewing. Current analog microscopes have excellent optics, lighting, and depth of field that permit vitreoretinal surgeons to repair an extensive array of surgical pathologies. However, there are limitations to our current analog optical visualization that include reliance on microscope oculars, excess light exposure for the patient, and the relative inability to add heads-up information to the surgeon’s view.