Video Capture of Plastic Surgery Procedures Using the GoPro HERO 3

Video recordings of surgical procedures provide a method for analyzing operative performance, augmenting surgical education, and presenting cases to a wider audience of plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Although many hospitals provide video recording services, significant improvements can still be made in this arena, particularly in capturing high-quality video recordings from the surgeon’s point of view. One potential and cost-effective solution is the use of commercially available amateur video systems. Previous studies have detailed the development of do-it-yourself video systems for use in the operating room,1 whereas more recent studies have explored the utility of using popular “action” cameras such as the Contour helmet camera (Contour LLC, Provo, Utah)2,3 and the GoPro HERO 3 Silver Edition camera (GoPro, Inc., San Mateo, Calif.).4 Recently, a more advanced GoPro HERO 3+ Black Edition camera (GoPro, Inc.) became available, and the purpose of this study was to examine the utility of this device for high-definition, point-of-view recordings of plastic and reconstructive surgery.