First Look: Google Glass in Dermatology, Mohs Surgery, and Surgical Reconstruction

Abstract

Administrative, technical, or material support: Sobanko, Fischer, Etzkorn. Study supervision: Sobanko. Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported. REFERENCES 1. Davami B, Porkhamene G. Versatility of local fasciocutaneous flaps for coverage of soft tissue defects in upper extremity. J Hand Microsurg. 2011; 3(2):58-62. 2. Rahoma AH. Use of local sliding flaps to manage deep localized burns of the hand. J Hand Microsurg. 2011;3(2):45-50. 3. Germann G, Biedermann N, Levin SL. Intrinsic flaps in the hand. Clin Plast Surg. 2011;38(4): 729-738. 4. Bidic SM, Hatef DA, Rohrich RJ. Dorsal hand anatomy relevant to volumetric rejuvenation. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;126(1):163-168. 5. Vuppalapati G, Oberlin C, Balakrishnan G. "Distally based dorsal hand flaps": clinical experience, cadaveric studies and an update. Br J Plast Surg. 2004;57(7):653-667.6. Yang D, Morris SF. Vascular basis of dorsal digital and metacarpal skin flaps. J Hand Surg Am. 2001;26 (1):142-146. 7. Quaba AA, Davison PM. The distally-based dorsal hand flap. Br J Plast Surg. 1990;43(1):28-39. 8. Bailey SH, Andry D, Saint-Cyr M. The dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap: a case report utilizing a Quaba flap harvested from a previously skin-grafted area for dorsal 5th digit coverage. Hand (N Y). 2010;5(3):322-325. 9. Omokawa S, Tanaka Y, Ryu J, Kish VL. The anatomical basis for reverse first to fifth dorsal metacarpal arterial flaps. J Hand Surg Br. 2005;30 (1):40-44. NOTABLE NOTESTechnology continues to revolutionize the practice of dermatology, and the past decades have seen a paradigm shift in the way dermatologists practice medicine and surgery, deliver care to patients, and keep abreast of developments in our field. Google Glass (Google Inc) is a recently developed, first-in-class wearable computer that includes an optical display, camera, microphone, bone-conduction speaker, touchpad, gyroscope, and accelerometer. I have used the Google Glass device in the context of general and surgical dermatology.Applications in the clinical dermatology setting include lesional and histopathological photography, telemedicine, education, research, and consultation. Live streaming may also be used for teledermatology consultations, although store-and-forward approaches are feasible as well. Applications in the surgical setting include perioperative photography, 1 documentation of Mohs stages, Mohs specimen orientation, patient education regarding tumor and defect size and location, and reconstructive options.An advantage of this technology is the ability to activate the device in a hands-free fashion. In the surgical setting, this permits the dermatologist to record video or still photographs while maintaining a sterile field, and in the clinical setting, it permits recording photographs without the intrusion of using a camera, as photographs may be taken with a wink of the right eye.Live streaming of procedures may be used for medical and surgical education for medical students, residents, fellows, and colleagues, as well as for patient education. The dermato...

Augmented reality for the surgeon: Systematic review

“…There are few different wearable‐computing devices on the market that can be used instead of Google Glass, and there are also streaming devices, such as MedCyclops (Jacksonville, FL), that are compatible with multiple wearable head‐up displays. Previously, Google Glass has been used in the operating room for recordings and live streaming of simple procedures via Google Hangout for teaching and sharing purposes …”

“…While there are limited published accounts of head‐up display usage in dermatology practice, 1 dermatologist reported using Google Glass to take photographs of selected procedures at his discretion, although specific cases were not documented . Furthermore, another dermatologist suggests that Google Glass can be leveraged for lesional and histopathologic photography; perioperative photography; documentation of Mohs stages; Mohs specimen orientation; patient education regarding tumour size, defect size and location; and reconstructive surgery …”

Patient monitoring with Google Glass: a pilot study of a novel monitoring technology

“…Resembling lensless eyewear, Glass incorporates an optical display, camera, microphone, bone‐conduction speaker, motion detection sensors, touchpad, and onboard computational power comparable to a modern smartphone. The device is sufficiently small and lightweight to avoid ergonomic issues seen with previous bulkier HMDs . The device has been identified for potential applications across various fields across surgery, interventional radiology, pharmacy, laboratory medicine, and emergency triage .…”

Using google glass to solve communication and surgical education challenges in the operating room

“…2 Despite the many existing products, none is as popular and as widely implemented for use in medicine as Glass, which has been used experimentally in specialties including primary care, dermatology, and pediatric surgery. [3][4][5] With this in mind, we set out to demonstrate the utility of this technology specifically within the context of otolaryngologic surgery. Furthermore, we utilized Glass to assess the potential to augment surgical education and enhance communication with the surgical team.…”