The digital operating room and the surgeon

The "word digital operating room" aims to integrate the images, information, and work flow available in the hospital and in the operating theater. In addition, it can distribute and record information while adding intelligence. The understanding of a digital operating room thus is highly variable. Whereas digital operating rooms are rapidly being incorporated in the hospitals, the clinical validation of improved quality of surgery is limited. The proven and expected usefulness of image distribution in one OR (routing and switching) or outside the OR (broadcasting), of integrating information, of image and video registration, and of intelligence, is reviewed with the perspective of quality and safety of surgery. It is expected that the digital OR will contribute to the learning and teaching and to the quality of surgery. Especially, the introduction of intelligence will be a major step forward. It remains important however that we, endoscopic surgeons, remain closely involved in shaping and orienting this future.