Video Capture of Plastic Surgery Procedures Using the GoPro HERO 3+.
BACKGROUND
Significant improvements can be made in recoding surgical procedures, particularly in capturing high-quality video recordings from the surgeons' point of view. This study examined the utility of the GoPro HERO 3+ Black Edition camera for high-definition, point-of-view recordings of plastic and reconstructive surgery.


METHODS
The GoPro HERO 3+ Black Edition camera was head-mounted on the surgeon and oriented to the surgeon's perspective using the GoPro App. The camera was used to record 4 cases: 2 fat graft procedures and 2 breast reconstructions. During cases 1-3, an assistant remotely controlled the GoPro via the GoPro App. For case 4 the GoPro was linked to a WiFi remote, and controlled by the surgeon.


RESULTS
Camera settings for case 1 were as follows: 1080p video resolution; 48 fps; Protune mode on; wide field of view; 16:9 aspect ratio. The lighting contrast due to the overhead lights resulted in limited washout of the video image. Camera settings were adjusted for cases 2-4 to a narrow field of view, which enabled the camera's automatic white balance to better compensate for bright lights focused on the surgical field. Cases 2-4 captured video sufficient for teaching or presentation purposes.


CONCLUSIONS
The GoPro HERO 3+ Black Edition camera enables high-quality, cost-effective video recording of plastic and reconstructive surgery procedures. When set to a narrow field of view and automatic white balance, the camera is able to sufficiently compensate for the contrasting light environment of the operating room and capture high-resolution, detailed video.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.; and The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
Steven Nicholas
SN
Graves
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.; and The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
Deana Saleh
DS
Shenaq
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.; and The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
Alexander J
AJ
Langerman
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.; and The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
David H
DH
Song