Are LED lights crucial for Operation Theatres?

Therefore, surgeons and various other medical doctors depend upon surgical lights which have a specific power backup as well as do not create any shadows. In addition, LED lights have suddenly become very popular as surgical lights. Therefore, this article will talk about how LED surgical lights are the right choice for hospitals

What are surgical lights?

Operating or surgical lights are used in operation theatres of a hospital along with ambulatory surgery centers as well. They can even be used for high quality procedures which require good lighting. For example, labor and delivery, emergency rooms as well as examination rooms need good lighting which is why surgical lights are used.

They provide ambient illumination so that there is optimal visualization in a procedure and for a very long time too. There are some other kinds of surgical lights like examination lighting system. An examination light is used to illuminate examination rooms for important examinations. However, Operation theatre lighting are essential for surgeries in a hospital.

Types of Surgical lighting

LED is the newest type of surgical light but there are several other types of lightings that are used for medical procedures according to the duration of the procedure. It is further categorized into lamp or mounting types that use incandescent lighting or LEDs.

Before learning about LEDs as the most popular form of lighting for operation theatres, let us also see the different types of lightings that were used before LED was even invented. Moreover, the positioning of lights is just as important as the light itself in a hospital because of numerous applications.

The led may be mounted on the wall or ceiling-mounted or have a floor stand according to the model of the lighting. However, all three have a different use which is:

Incandescent Lighting

Incandescent lights contain halogen which makes the filament run over a high temperature. A chemical reaction takes place which separates halogen and tungsten in the filament. However, halogen lights work for a shorter span which is about 3000 hours only, it might not be as functional for an operation theatre as the work is 24X7. Moreover, the cost of changing incandescent lights every 6 months may cost the hospital a lot.

Moreover, they also give off a dangerous amount of heat energy which could lead to burns if gone unnoticed. They also have very low luminous efficacy which might not be great for an operation theatre. Also, they also emit ultraviolet rays and infrared rays which could pose as a problem for the patients

Tungsten-Halogen Lighting

These are also incandescent lights but with filaments present in the bulb that has halogen gas inside it. It helps in generating lighting as well as generates enough heat which can conjure up to 250 degree Celsius. Tungsten mixed with halogen gas creates a chemical reaction that brings evaporated tungsten back on the filament. Therefore, tungsten-halogen lights have higher efficacy which is important for operation theatre.

LEDs Surgical Lighting

LEDs are semi-conductors that emit light when electric current passes through it since they use less energy than a halogen light and produce almost the same amount of lighting. The emission of colors from LED light depends upon the material used for semiconductors.

These lights are small and reliable and structurally strong with a high life span which is better than other lights. LED lighting used during surgeries do not need a filter which is necessary with halogen lights or tungsten-halogen lights which hamper the luminous efficacy of the bulb.

Therefore, LED OT light manufacturers have found their calling as more hospitals are turning to these amazing light emitting devices for operation theatres as they give more lights, are durable and have a better lifespan than other surgical lights. They are designed with the most recent technology for OT rooms. And all this is because of the modernization in hospital industry.

Importance of LED Surgical lights

LED surgical lights are anyway better than other surgical lights as they provide longer lifespan and radiate less heat as compared with other lights.

• They also give off cool lighting which decreases the risk of creating a drying effect on tissues.
• LEDs have white light better than others leading to better visibility.
• Color temperature does not rise too much which is a plus point.
• It is durable and has a high product span.
• The light emitted by LEDs has a consistent flow of lighting.
• They create no shadows meaning that they are shadowless lights.
• There are no reflectors present in the LED lights which is good for avoiding any distraction for the surgeon who is operating a patient.
• These lights give off good renditions in colors.