Google Glass for Our Shortsighted Brave New World

Marquel, TPVs New York Times Glass correspondent, could not find his prescription glasses to fully read and comprehend the content of  Google Glass Enters the Operating Room  on Surgeons‘ Noses. Other doctors too are experimenting with the devices, recording and streaming procedures and looking up data.

Its best feature, say surgeons, is the ability to make incisions and check your email simultaneously.

Marquel wasn’t surprised by this story. Why should medics be different from anybody else? With Google glass on your head you’re a multi tasking genius.

Marquel talked with one of these surgeons who couldn’t praise Google glass enough.

“It’s a huge time-saver. I can’t overstate that. I can do open heart surgery, an eight hour operation, and clear out my junk mail, my spam filter, as well as my normal email, and still have an open incision front of me. I can check on my kids, talk to my wife, give a talk at a medical convention in Bucharest, and still have that beating heart in my hand.”

“But don’t you think that might take away from the operation?” I asked. “I mean, your concentration. There you are with a beating heart in your hand, and you have to figure out whether to put that walk-in tub email into junk or just delete it.”

“It takes balance. You have to know when to do it. For instance, I might have that heart in my hand while my second is suctioning the chest cavity. Do I just stand there with the patient’s heart in my hand as if it’s chopped liver, or do I do something useful while it’s beating?” He answered. “It’s the modern world, this is the world we’re living in.”

“I’m still a bit uncomfortable about it. Are you entirely comfortable?” I asked.

“You know, I’m not. But it’s the anesthesiologists. Once a patient is under, it’s up to the anesthesiologist to keep him there. Last week I was watching the hockey semi-finals…” he paused.

I interrupted, “while doing an operation?”

“Certainly. The same open heart we were just talking about.” he said. “I also had my best friend on the telephone, and I shouted out, ‘penalty shot’ and you’ll never guess. The patient half sat up, no heart in his body, and says the word ‘penalty…’ before we could get him totally under again. So you live and learn. The anesthesiologist said he got confused by my directions to turn right, then left, I think, then take a U at the end.”

“Huh?” I asked.

“Oh, at the same time as everything, my wife had called and was asking how to get to the drugstore.”

“What did you learn about that whole experience?” I asked.

“Don’t watch hockey when the patient’s a hockey fan. It could be deadly” he said.

“So you can watch sports, talk to a friend, and operate, all at the same time?” I asked.

“In theory of course.” he said. “In actual practice, you have to be careful. You don’t want to lose the patient.”

“What would you do if you did?” I asked.

“It’s impossible to lose a patient when you’re with Google Glass. You just have to say, “find Norm,” or whatever the patient’s name is.” He stopped and then said,” I’m kidding of course. The patient comes first.”

“What if the patient wants to make a call?” I asked, just having fun.

“I could do it for him, but it would go on his bill.” He said, not kidding.

“What about bills? Does Google Glass add to the cost of the operation?” I asked.

“No, it’s part of the business. That way I can amortize the cost.” he said.

“That’s swell of you,” I said. “So he doesn’t see it on the bill?”

“No. Actually I bill while I’m operating. By the time the operation is finished, the bill is in the mail.”

“You’re kidding.” I said.

“Not at all. Any extras go right on the bill as I operate. I told you before I couldn’t say enough about Google Glass. It’s changed my office procedures. I was able to get rid of one person in my office.”

“Well, that’s good news.” I said. “Tell me, here you are dictating the bill, you say it goes out before the operation is over, and the patient dies. What then?”

“I just amend the bill. You can do that, you know.” He said.

This was too much for me to take. I asked, “what’s the strangest thing you experienced using Google Glass in the OR?”

“Well, that would have to be the patient who was also using Google Glass.” he said.

“Wouldn’t you insist he take them off?” I asked.

“I did, but he wouldn’t hear of it.” he said.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“He communicated to my by text while he was conscious, then he reviewed the operation when he came out. I was in another operation, and there it pops up on my glass, ‘doctor, I think you left a sponge near my left ventricle.’”

“My God, what did you do?” I asked.

“I asked him to play it back a few times, and asked him how he felt, and we determined that it wasn’t a forgotten sponge but artificial membrane that gets absorbed over time. It was supposed to be there.” he said.

“Well, this isn’t the Brave New World I ever imagined.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll all come out in the wash.” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“Sorry,” he said, “I was talking to my maid. There was blood on one of my shirts.”

“How do you manage all of this?” I asked.

“I don’t.” he said. “Google glass organizes and schedules everything in my daily life. I’ve just got to remember not to take it off.”

“But you have to take it off sometimes.” I objected.

“That’s when things go haywire,” he said.

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