Introduction: Videos of surgical procedures have quickly become an important part of resident education. More recently, 3D video has gained popularity due to the added dimension of depth which is crucial in surgical education. The process of acquiring, editing, sharing, and watching 3D videos is difficult, expensive, with no uniform standards. We present our high quality / cost effective experience.

Methods: The authors have a background in commercial cinema and 3D production. We recommend a 3D workflow that uses low cost commercially available hardware and software with open formats, combined with free online services. Proprietary systems often are prohibitively expensive and can be a technological dead end.

Results: For acquisition, 3D recording microscopes are excellent, however, the price point is outside the realm for many users. We use a head mounted GoPro Hero 3D for an unencumbered view of the surgical field. To edit 3D footage, we suggest the using the side-by-side 3D format which is currently widely supported across editing programs and viewing platforms. Sharing 3D video is surprisingly easy given the ability of services like Youtube and Vimeo to display videos in multiple 3D display formats. Finally, we recommend passive 3D televisions due to their use of low cost polarized glasses instead of expensive active shutter glasses.

Conclusions: 3D video technology is quickly evolving and there are many competing standards on both the hardware and software front. Using widely commercially available hardware and open standards instead of closed proprietary system will allow for greater acceptance and use of this promising technology.

Patient Care: By leveraging stereoscopic 3D effectively, residents can accelerate their learning curve without harming patients.

Learning Objectives: By the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to understand how to effectively use stereoscopic 3D for resident education

References: Sample 3D video clips: http://youtu.be/iCaSM1VyBlQ