HAMPTON, Va. (WVEC) -- It's the first of its kind technology at any active duty military hospital in the country, and the first among all operating rooms here in Hampton Roads.
Three dimensional Laparoscopic surgery has arrived.
At the Langley Air Force Base Hospital, surgeons are using the high definition live images to increase their own depth perception while performing operations, giving them a view unlike anything they've had before.
It's like their eyes are now able to get an up-close, 3D peek inside the patient's body.
"it was like a new toy for me, I have to admit," said Major Arthur Greenwood, an Air Force surgeon. "Having depth perception while operating is quite very helpful. It allows us to see tissue planes better, better identify structure. And it allows us to do more difficult surgeries."
In this case, it was hysterectomy.
The tiny flexible 3-D Olympus camera scope gives the 3D glasses-wearing doctors the exact view they need, only better.
The patient gets a smaller incision, just one to two centimeters, so there's a much quicker recovery time.
"There is no downside," said Olympus Trainer Timothy Vincent.
Major Tammy Dunham, a nurse and team leader, agreed. "It shortens procedure time, it gives the surgeons greater visibility during some of the tougher cases, and it's overall better for the patients," she said.