c. 4K monitors, also known as ultra-HD, have more than 8 million pixels (more than 4,000 horizontal and more than 2,000 vertical). HD monitors, on the other hand, have just over 2 million pixels (1,920 across by 1,080 up and down). In other words, 4K monitors have more than 4 times as many pixels as HD monitors. Numbers aside, the difference in image quality can be astounding when you see it for yourself.

a. The 5 mm scopes allow for smaller incisions, which means less chance of bleeding, infection and hernias. Previously, 10 mm scopes were the standard. That's important, because the rate of complications increases in proportion to the port-site incision.

b. False. With today's most modern equipment, passive goggles (meaning there's no battery component) let you see 3D images clearly, and you don't need the lights turned up — ambient light works just fine.

a. True. Retinal damage can occur when patients are exposed for significant periods of time to light from ophthalmic instruments. With a heads-up 4K and 3D display, practitioners need less light to see well, so the chance that a patient will suffer light-induced retinopathy may be decreased.

EYE CANDY Why is 4K so much more vivid than HD? Turns out there are more than 8 million reasons.

b. False. The color gamut is substantially increased with 4K video, especially for reds and yellows, which allows diagnostic decisions based on a tissue's shade to be made with greater confidence. In fact, a 4K display can offer 4 times as many color shades as an HD display.

c. You can magnify an image on the screen 10 to 30 times with virtually no pixilation. In other words, even if you're dealing with anatomy that's measured in microns, your surgeon and the OR team can have an outsized, unparalleled view of the target area in 4K brilliance.

OVER THE TOP Augmented reality has taken ENT surgery to a new level.

a. True. The study (osmag.net/s8vhsd), which was published in Obesity Surgery, found that this was especially true during longer procedures. The study also found that surgeons performing mini-gastric bypass surgery were significantly faster when they used the 3D system.

a.True. Newer systems can display images from 6 or more inputs. They can also feature such elements as integrated microphones and speakers, which let the OR team communicate with staff in other ORs or in the post-op or recovery areas.

b. In 2016, preliminary testing (osmag.net/8objrc) during 2 cholecystectomy cases "revealed the engineering and clinical feasibility of the 8K UHD endoscope." That, said the study authors, is very likely to lead to major advances, including possibilities involving intricate procedures, such as anastomoses of thin nerves and blood vessels.

a. Endoscopic fluorescence technology can help a surgeon do things like differentiate between healthy tissue and malignancies. In colorectal surgery, it can also assess bowel perfusion and evaluate vascular blood flow following anastomosis to avoid post-operative complications.

a. True. Today's navigation systems let surgeons set alarms when they get too close to the area. For example, ENT surgeons may want a warning when an instrument gets within 2 or 3 mm of an optic nerve.

a. True. Surgery no longer has to be done under a microscope, meaning that residents don't have to sit next to surgeons and look through a side view of the scope at a flat image to observe. The ergonomics, meanwhile, are better for surgeons, who aren't hunched over their microscopes all day, and everyone in the OR can see precisely what's happening during surgery, which makes it easier for them to remain engaged and anticipate the next steps in a given procedure.

d. All of the above. Not only are images more detailed, but one of the hallmarks of recent technology is that it allows users to much more easily visualize and differentiate previously challenging structures inside the body.

GOOD HUES Richer, more vivid colors on big-screen monitors let surgeons make diagnostic decisions based on a tissue's shade with greater confidence.

a. True. Augmented reality lets surgeons integrate CT scans into the camera view of the patient, so surgeons don't have to continuously look back and forth between images to make sure they're steering clear of delicate structures. The technology promises to let general ENT surgeons safely perform surgeries that were previously left to specialists. The system can also record augmented reality, letting you view what's seen in real time later.

d. All of the above, as you might have guessed. Integrated surgical video setups can display safe surgery checklists (so everyone is more engaged during time outs), as well as serene nature scenes to help keep patients calm when they're brought into the OR, or cartoons to distract children before they're anesthetized. Clearer visuals that are bound to lead to better outcomes are the most obvious benefit of today's most advanced systems, but there are plenty of other benefits as well. OSM