Headlights

[Entei]

Anyone care to share any opinions on LED headlights? I know they're not as bright as traditional headlights. I find it hard to believe a LED light could be bright enough to justify wearing one, but I'm open to being convinced otherwise. I like the idea of a lower profile light so I can avoid locking antlers with the attending, as well as the idea of always being able to actually find my own light to use. (Xenon lights have a tendency to be in short supply at one of our hospitals, so the attending generally has the "privilege" of wearing the light.) I've got the money to burn, but if I'm just going to look like a dork with a cheap flashlight strapped to my head, I'll pass.

Any thoughts?

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[tri]

i hope you got a lot of money to burn because a decent headlight worth buying will run around $1000 minimum and even more for the better ones. IMHO, not worth it. they're a pain in the ass to wear anyway.

 

[Winged Scapula]

They give me headaches.

I definitely wouldn't buy one. If you're doing the case, you should be wearing one. If they are in short supply at your hospital, then that's not your fault. The hospital needs to buy more if there is a need.

When you get a job as an attending, have the hospital buy you one if you are so keen on wearing one, but to pay for a headlamp for yourself as a resident seems bit of overkill to me.

 

[maxheadroom]

I only wear a headlight when it's absolutely necessary -- otherwise you spend a whole lotta time with your neck in a bad position, trying to get light into some dark spot. I pretty much only wear one for a palate repair. And for goodness sake, don't blow your own money on a headlight.

 

[Winged Scapula]

And besides, if you got that much money to burn, why not make a tax deductible contribution to SDN which, for the next month, will go to the Riley and Claudia Fund:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/announcement.php?f=40

 

[tri]

yeah. Again, hospitals should buy headlights for you if it's needed. They aren't cheap. I'd take that money and use it to buy some nice expanded field loupes instead. They're a lot more useful (for me at least) with almost the same amount of neck pain.

 

[ESU_MD]

I have a different opinion-

I think a headlite is a very critical piece of equipment.
I wear one for EVERY case now.

In gen surgery- I think the lite would be useful for head/neck, vascular, colorectal to name a few. Of course any thoracic procedure

I personally know a surgeon who wears one for breast surgery!!!... that may be a bit of overkill.

I was a skeptic until I was forced into wearing one and now I am hooked.
Having good lite is part of having good exposure. It makes all the difference

i saw some really nice rechargeable LED's at the ACS and kick myself for not buying them. In a perfect world, the hospital should buy stuff like this- but then that means everyone uses it and it breaks, etc If you can afford it, buy your own. its a good investment. That way you can take good cae of it, etc..

 

[Winged Scapula]

Actually headlamps in breast surgery do come in handy for the large patient when doing axillary node dissections and nipple or skin sparing mastectomies (it can be hard to see 1 foot away from your incision to the top of the breast). So I use one in these cases, reluctantly, but given that I often have substandard assistants, its a must.

Still wouldn't buy one as a resident though.

 

[maxheadroom]

Seriously, ask a senior surgeon who has to use a headlight on a regular basis -- you'll kill your neck if you use it more than necessary. At the major Plastics meeting, one of the big-time nose guys talks about why you should never wear a headlight in order to save your neck.

 

[DRshooter]

One of the plastics staff at my old program wore a headlight and a soft collar to avoid neck pain.

Looked like a total dork...

 

[tussy]

I wear a headlight for every case. If you don't have it adjusted perfectly then it's hard on the neck. Some headlights are much lighter and fit better than others. I've tried them all in our hospital and i know which ones are the good ones. I go in early and make sure i put the good one in my room!

I'm starting a permenent job in a few months and I'm goign to ask them for a headlight to be available for every case I do.

they are especially good for peri-anal cases (working where the sun don't shine). it's hard to get the regular lights to shine where you need them.

 

[Entei]

I understand the pros and cons in general of wearing a headlight vs not. The LED lights seem like they would be significantly lighter than a traditional xenon set up, which might help with the neck strain. I'm curious as to whether the LED lights actually provide enough light to make a noticeable difference in the OR. I'm not about to go buying a xenon headlight and light box, but the LED light seems on paper like a nice compromise between power, comfort, and dork factor. If this is also true in practice, it seems like a worthwhile investment. Anyone have any experience using one? They're apparently marketed to both dentists and surgeons, but most of the talk about them seems to come from the dental forums. Is a LED headlight even appropriate for the OR?

Which brand are you kicking yourself for not buying, ESU_MD?
DFV, SheerVision, Orascoptic/Surgical Acuity, or Enova?

 

[Blade28]

Only the senior residents here tend to use them, and then only for CT, Surg Onc or the like. I know the ENT guys love them though.

I wouldn't buy them myself, though...I'd just use the hospital's ones (plus they're just too damn expensive!). If you don't already have loupes, I'd suggest investing in those - better for Peds Surg, Endocrine, Vascular, Cardiac, etc.

Aren't you just starting your PGY-2 year? You're consistently wearing headlights in your cases? 😕

 

[eclcell]

I haven't seen these LED headlights. Do they free you from that annoying cord to the light box? I would certainly be willing to sacrifice some brightness to lose the cord.

 

[Entei]

They do free you from the light box. Most of them use rechargeable batteries that you either clip to your waist or to the headband itself.

I am indeed a PGY2, and yes, I recognize that it is a bit presumptuous of me to be shopping around for a headlight. I'm not seriously thinking about buying one for a few years yet, but I think when the time comes, it might be a worthwhile investment. I've already got my loupes (I probably jumped the gun there too), and it was in shopping around for them that I came across all the literature about the LED lights. I wanted to ask my colleagues (and superiors! 🙂 ) on SDN if these things lived up to the hype. They just seem too good to be true. Lightweight, unobtrusive, portable, cheaper than the fiberoptics, AND bright enough to really make a difference? I'm interested in hearing a surgeon's opinion on them, since, as I said, most of the talk is in the dental forums. Seems like they're relatively new so there's not much experience with them, though. Figured they'd be an interesting topic of discussion given that we've beaten the loupes discussion into the ground enough times in the past, and... what other consumer OR technology is there to talk about? 😀

 

[eclcell]

Here's what I think you ought to do. Call one of the reps and tell them you would like to try them out. They will likely be more than willing to oblige. They'll either loan it to you directly or have to make arrangements through your OR people. They'll know what to do. Then if someone higher up then you sees you using this new headlight and likes it, they can convince your hospital to buy some. I'd do it myself, but I am doing research right now.