Photodocumentation of Laser Microsurgery: Preoperative,Intraoperative,and Postoperative Techniques for Still and Video Photographs

Photodocumentation of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative findings serves to enhance and complement the study of normal and pathologic anatomy and physiology. Such documentation is invaluable for the teaching of medical students, physicians in the same or in other specialties, and allied health personnel. A surgeon may review and refine surgical technique, and colleagues around the world may study the situation from the same vantage point after surgery has been completed. Referring physicians may be kept graphically informed of the findings and progress of their patients. With the development of such modern technologies as laser microsurgery, an objective means of assessing ablation of disease and healing of surgical wounds is now available, and many of the extravagant claims of “no bleeding, and no edema during or after surgery” may be confirmed or refuted. I shall describe techniques for endoscopic examination and photodocumentation of the ears, anterior and posterior nares, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient. Techniques for obtaining high-quality color transparencies and color and sound videotapes will be presented. Equipment is simple and relatively inexpensive, and no special knowledge of photography is required. Examples of benign and malignant disease of the ears, nose, nasopharynx, and larynx will be shown before, during, and at regular intervals after microsurgery with the CO₂ laser.