Separated versus Integrated Displays in Minimally-Invasive Surgery

Abstract

In minimally-invasive surgery (MIS), surgeons operate through small incisions while visualizing internal tissues with a camera or fiber optic scope. Compared with open surgery, MIS causes surgeons to engage in more frequent visual scanning to view multiple displays and other locations within the operating room. Visual scanning hastens fatigue, delays response time, and increases cognitive workload. We hypothesized that integrated displays– which present multiple images on a single monitor, would result in less fatigue, lower workload and better perceptual-motor performance than separated displays– which present images on physically separate monitors. Observers performed a pick-and-place task while monitoring “vital signs.” We compared performance between integrated and separated display conditions. Unexpectedly, results indicated that task completion time, fatigue and workload did not differ between display conditions. However, integrated displays did not degrade performance compared with separated displays. The implication is that integrated displays (i.e., fewer monitors) can be used in operating rooms. This is important because MIS requires more equipment than open surgery and operating rooms are typically cluttered with equipment.