A Comparative Analysis of Use of Google Glass versus. GoPro Intraoperative Video Recording of Scleral Buckle Surgery

Importance The scleral buckle technique is difficult to teach, given a decrease in the frequency of its use and the challenges of its video recording. Background This study compares two different modalities for recording intraoperative videos of scleral buckle surgery. Design Present study is a cross-sectional survey conducted in an academic hospital. Participants A total of 36 medical students, ophthalmologic residents, and vitreoretinal surgery fellows participated in this survey. Methods Five scleral buckle surgeries were filmed simultaneously using Google Glass and GoPro. Single-masked survey of trainees comparing video and audio quality of 38 10-second clips from each device, and listing the steps of scleral buckle surgery. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Main Outcome Measures Trainees were asked for grading the video device with respect to audio and video quality as favorable or unfavorable. Results GoPro clips had more favorable ratings of video (73.3%) and audio (75.9%), compared with Google Glass (36.7 and 58.5%, respectively; p < 0.005). A total of 2.8% respondents listed the correct order of surgical steps in pretest, compared with 55.6% in posttest ( p < 0.005). Conclusion and Relevance Wearable recording devices can allow for video recording of scleral buckle surgery which has high utility in teaching trainees. GoPro and Google Glass each have distinct advantages.