The Performance Effects of Color-contrasting Shadows on Laparoscopic Surgery

The viewing limitations inherent in laparoscopic surgery, severely limit depth perception compared to open surgery, sometimes leading to internal trauma caused by the laparoscopic instruments. Recently, the effects of shadows in laparoscopy have been studied and have shown promising results. Previous studies have found that the addition of shadows can improve performance in tasks under laparoscopic condition. Aiming to further improve depth perception in laparoscopic surgery, this study tested the effect of color-contrasting shadows on performance in a depth perception-dependent laparoscopic task. It was hypothesized that the added contrast of colored shadows should make them easier to see on the dark red backgrounds found in the body, thus improving performance. Twenty-four novice participants were included in the study, which compared performance under no shadows, black shadows, and colored shadows on two differently colored backgrounds. In all conditions, the task was performed on an oscillating platform. Results from this study showed that the presence both the colored shadows and the black shadows improved performance compared to no shadows, but the colored shadows did not provide a significant advantage over black shadows.