Operating microscope

A podiatrist prepares for microsurgery.

An operating microscope or surgical microscope is an optical microscope specifically designed to be used in a surgical setting, typically to perform microsurgery.[1]

Design features of an operating microscope are: magnification typically in the range from 4x-40x, components that are easy to sterilize or disinfect in order to ensure cross-infection control.

There is often a prism that allows splitting of the light beam in order that assistants may also visualize the procedure or to allow photography or video to be taken of the operating field.

Typically an operating microscope might cost several thousand dollars for a basic model, more advanced models may be much more expensive. Additionally, specialized microsurgical instruments may be required to make full use of the improved vision the microscope affords. It can take time to master use of an operating microscope.[2]

Fields of medicine that make significant use of the operating microscope include plastic surgery, dentistry (especially endodontics), ENT surgery, ophthalmic surgery, and neurosurgery.[3]

  1. ^ Cordero, Ismael (2014). "Understanding and caring for an operating microscope". Community Eye Health. 27 (85): 17. ISSN 0953-6833. PMC 4069782. PMID 24966460.
  2. ^ Schaefer, Madison A.; Nelson, Heather N.; Butrum, John L.; Gronseth, James R.; Hines, Jacob H. (2023-03-09). "A low-cost smartphone fluorescence microscope for research, life science education, and STEM outreach". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 2722. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-29182-y. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 9998573.
  3. ^ Fichter, Andreas M.; Wolff, Constantin T.; Grabenhorst, Alex; Koss, Leonard H.; von Bomhard, Achim; Nieberler, Markus; Wolff, Klaus-Dietrich; Ritschl, Lucas M. (2023-07-05). "Comparison of a high-definition three-dimensional digital camera system with a conventional state-of-the-art operation microscope for microsurgical anastomoses". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 10867. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-37530-1. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10322850.