[The scientific videotape with digital processing in surgery. The new opportunities offered surgery for videotape recording and postprocessing with the use of information and digital technologies].
The facility of the tape recording of a surgical operation, by means of simple manageable apparatuses and at low costs, especially in comparison with the former cinematography, makes it possible for all surgeons to record their own operative activity. Therefore at present the demonstration in video of surgical interventions is very common, but very often the video-tapes show surgical events only in straight chronological succession, as for facts of chronicle news. The simplification of the otherwise sophisticated digital technology of informatics elaboration of images makes more convenient and advisable to assemble the more meaningful sequences for a final product of higher scientific value. The digital technology gives at the best its contribution during the phase of post-production of the video-tape, where the surgeon himself can assemble an end product of more value because aimed to a scientific and rational communication. Thanks to such an elaboration the video-tape can aim not simply to become a good documentary, but also to achieve an educational purpose or becomes a truly scientific film. The initial video will be recorded following a specific project, the script, foreseeing and programming what has to be demonstrated of the surgical operation, establishing therefore in advance the most important steps of the intervention. The sequences recorded will then be assembled not necessarily in a chronological succession but integrating the moving images with static pictures, as drawings, schemes, tables, aside the picture-in picture technique, and besides the vocal descriptive comment. The cinema language has accustomed us to a series of passages among the different sequences as fading, cross-over, "flash-back", aiming to stimulate the psychological associative powers and encourage those critical. The video-tape can be opportunely shortened, paying attention to show only the essential phases of the operation for demonstrate only the core of the problem and utilize at the best the physiological period of active attention of the observer. The informatic digital elaboration has become so easy that the surgeon himself can be able to elaborate personally on his personal computer, with professional and scientific attitude, the sequences of his surgical activity in a product of more general value. His personal engagement also in the phase of post-production gives him the possibility to demonstrate uprightly with images the complex surgical experience of science, skill and ability to communicate, perhaps better than he is able to do with words.
Picardi
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Cattedra di Chirurgia Generale III-1, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio di Chieti.
D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000379:methods*; D009040:Motion Pictures; D012984:Software; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods*; D014743:Videotape Recording / Q000379:methods*