A virtual surgical amphitheater: using technology to allow medical students and residents to observe operations anytime, anywhere.

Sir: In today's world, there is a very high premium on technology and its seemingly limitless potential to improve every aspect of our lives. At the center of the technological movement has been cloud computing and people's desire for more access. Cloud computing is the latest trend in mobile communication, where massive amounts of data are stored online. This availability of and the need for easier access to information, entertainment, and education have been changing the technological landscape. We believe that improved access to surgical education is more than desirable; it is imperative and inevitable. To that end, we are creating a virtual surgical amphitheater to provide Web-based videos of operations for surgical residents, medical students, and any physician wishing to learn more about different procedures. We will also be creating an application for the iPhone and iTouch devices (Apple, Inc., Cupertino, Calif.). This will provide viewers with both more access and more options. Initially, we have chosen procedures from the craniofacial and hand surgery specialties because of the small, defined surgical fields (operating area) encountered in those procedures. Our goal is to provide concise, narrated video footage of surgical procedures that are typically difficult for anyone but the operating surgeon to see. The camera system clips to the operator's surgical loops and connects by means of a USB cord to the laptop, from which the entire operation can be viewed and recorded. The setup has the advantage of giving everyone in the room, and anyone viewing the recording later, the ability to view the procedure from the same perspective as the operating surgeon. During the editing process, a narrated video approximately 15 to 20 minutes in length is produced, basic enough for medical students to follow and technical enough to teach residents. To accomplish this, only the key aspects and techniques unique to the specific procedure are included. An example of this can be seen in Figure 1, which is two screenshots taken from a cleft lip repair video. The shots show a key anatomical landmark before and after the repair. To assess the usefulness of surgical videos, a sample was presented to students and residents at the Medical College of Georgia. After watching the videos, they filled out a survey, which is summarized in Figure 2. The survey indicates that the overwhelming majority of viewers found the video useful and would implement it in their studies.Fig. 1.: Screenshots demonstrating how the labeling of anatomical landmarks before and after surgery can be of educational significance.Fig. 2.: Results of survey given to medical students and surgical residents regarding the usefulness and application of the videos. The questions included the following: #1, The content of the video provided useful and relevant information; #2, I would like to be given more information even if it made the video longer; #3, I would actually use these videos to learn about and review procedures; #4, I would prefer learning about surgical procedures using this method instead of textbooks; and #5, Where would you likely watch the videos? More than one answer was allowed.We are creating a virtual amphitheater with online videos of surgical procedures to provide medical students, residents, and surgeons convenient access to observe operations. Obviously, there is no substitute for learning in a real operating room, but this comes close to it and has the following advantages: it provides better perspective (surgeon's view) and narrated editing, it accommodates more learners, and it can be replayed at any time. The virtual amphitheater, like its predecessor, will supplement a surgeon's training and play a key role in surgical education. In many ways, technology is about improving access. Including multimedia technology in surgical training is an integral part of offering access to surgical education. DISCLOSURE None of the authors has a financial interest in the publication of this article or any of the products used in its creation. Michael T. Cormican, B.S. Jack C. Yu, M.D., M.S., D.M.D. Gregory S. Kottkamp, B.S. School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia Augusta Augusta, Ga.