Microscope, Operating/Surgical

An operating microscope is specifically designed to be used in a surgical setting, typically to perform microsurgery. The simple purpose of the surgical microscope is to improve the surgeon's view of the operating area. The microscope consists of three main components: the supporting structure, the optical system of the microscope, and the light source. An operating microscope has magnification typically in the range from 4x to 40x. The working distance is the distance from the microscope objective lens to the point of focus of the optical system. The light source is one of the most important components of the operating microscope. Most of operating microscopes can be adapted to meet general surgical needs; however a surgical microscope used for ophthalmic procedures is designed differently. Fields of medicine that make significant use of the operating microscope include ENT surgery, ophthalmic surgery, neurosurgery, reconstructive surgery, otorhinolaryngogy, dentistry, and vascular surgery.