Surgery is an accepted way of preventing stroke for patients with certain conditions. There are a number of conventional surgical techniques that have been in use for some time, including clipping aneurysms to prevent further bleeding and removing AVMs with the use of surgical microscopes.

The Stroke Center is pioneering several new surgical techniques for patients with AVMs or aneurysms once considered impossible to treat because of their location or size. Stereotactic microsurgery under surgical microscopes is one of the most dramatic new surgical procedures for AVMs and certain aneurysms that were once considered untreatable. It employs sophisticated computer technology and geometric principles to pinpoint the precise location of the AVM. During the procedure, a custom-fitted frame is attached to the patient’s head and three-dimensional reference points are established using CT or MRI. This technique allows neurosurgeons to locate the AVM within one or two millimeters so they can operate, using surgical microscope-enhanced methods and delicate instruments, without affecting normal brain tissue.

The field of plastic and reconstructive surgery combines both the artistic and scientific parts of medicine. This is true whether the surgeon is undertaking a complex reconstructive procedure or one that improves the appearance of a healthy patient. Today many techniques using surgical microscopes that were traditionally either reconstructive or aesthetic are now applied to both aspects of the specialty. This improves the quality and safety of reconstructions being performed today, as well as improving the caliber of cosmetic surgical results by applying techniques and knowledge gained from reconstructive procedures under surgical microscopes. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons have always been on the leading edge of innovation in surgery using surgical microscopes. It was a specialty that opened up the entire field of transplant surgery using surgical microscopes. Starting with the skin grafting of burn patients, which has ultimately, lead to organ transplantation. Many other fields, such as microvascular surgery and laser surgery, got their early acceptance due to the work done by plastic surgeons using surgical microscopes. Today, there are thousands of well-trained, Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world who uses surgical microscopes in their surgeries. These surgeons, in addition to performing cosmetic surgery, also treat breast cancer, skin cancer and soft tissue tumors, maxiofacial trauma or facial bone fractures, birth defects, acute burns and old burn scars, general wound care and hand surgery, all with the use of surgical microscopes. The plastic surgeon of today has a variety of tools at his disposal. These tools include liposuction machines, lasers for resurfacing, scar revision and tatoo removal, surgical microscopes, endoscopes, etc. Surgical microscopes, combined with new techniques for grafting and using synthetic implants has opened many avenues to the surgeon to help him find solutions for complex problems. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons also support medical research with both their time and money by sending teams of surgeons around the world to help the less fortunate.

Surgical microscopes for the modern dental professional

These surgical microscopes offer outstanding optical performance and excellent ergonomics along with, either manual or motorized focus, floor, wall or ceiling mounts and three or five pod magnifications. Entry-level surgical microscopes usually have a 45° fixed head. Other surgical microscopes have a 0-60° inclinable moving head giving a greater degree of flexibility. Both types of surgical microscopes offer incredible ergonomics and reduce neck strain. The use of dental surgical microscopes is clear that the use of magnification in dentistry enhances the accuracy of working procedures as well as reducing the time spent on usually laborious procedures. Meticulous tasks such as caries excavation, the bonding technique, enamel etching, restorations and apical surgical procedures, among others, are all greatly improved by clearer and better vision, especially during surgery. Of all these, endodontics has benefited the most from microsurgery with the help of surgical microscopes and has been revolutionized because the dental surgical microscopes allows an intracanal visualisation never before imagined. Dental surgical microscopes give all this while at the same time reducing the stress placed on the practitioner’s neck and back by leaning over patients. Worldwide, dental microscopy is becoming the standard because it is better dentistry.

Microscopy in dental practice

Microscope as we know it was invented by Zaccharias Janssen in 1595. Hot on Zaccharias’ heels, a surgical microscope for dentistry was introduced by Apotheker I in 1981. However Gary Carr from San Diego is generally accepted as the founding father of dental microscopy. Carr 2 introduced microscopes into endodontic practice in the early 1990’s and their use has been pretty well limited to endodontists ever since. While the thousands of dentists that use loupes and accessory light sources have grasped the benefits of enhanced vision and lighting, microscopy has not been widely embraced outside of the endodontic world. The surgical microscope is invaluable in endodontics. As more and more practitioners adopting contemporary endodontic instruments like the surgical microscope, techniques and materials, they will find that their continued advancement in the levels of care they can provide will be hampered by the level of magnification that loupes can provide. Moving up to a pair of x4 telescopic loupes and a xenon light source may seem attractive. However these will be personalized to the eyes of a single user. A realistic alternative would now be a presented on a mobile floor stand and available to everyone in the practice. Of course, for those of who do not want to share the new surgical microscope, it can be discreetly fixed to the wall or ceiling in a similar manner to a standard dental light or x-ray machine. The use of the surgical microscopes is now not limited to endodontics though. Surgical microscopes have three steps of magnification 5x, 8x and 12x, which broadens its uses immensely. Diagnostic procedures such as caries detection and cusp or root fractures are greatly enhanced. Operative procedures are also simplified. In the past placing composites under a surgical microscope was hampered by the tendency for the intense light to prematurely cure the composite. The orange filter was built and found invaluable for surgical microscopes. These are usually very expensive optional extras with other surgical microscopes. Even class III composites on lower incisors become a pleasure and when you can see what you’re doing your crown preps become things of beauty that both your technician and patients will appreciate. Talking of patient appreciation, can there really be a more conspicuous difference between check up and the private one that was performed using dental surgical microscopes. The surgical microscopes have enhanced diagnostic skills as well as the technical excellence and the image of the practice and as a professional.