Veterinary Surgical Lighting: Considerations for Purchasing a Surgery Light

Good lighting is crucial in the veterinary surgical suite. The surgeon MUST be able to see what they are doing to accurately make incisions and place sutures. Veterinary surgical and procedure lights also help a veterinarian discover any abnormal bleeding, tissue lesions that need further evaluation, or other abnormalities during surgery.

Here are some considerations for purchasing a surgical light for your veterinary practice…

Light Brightness and Quality

There are many companies that sell different models of veterinary surgery lights. Knowing what you’re looking for can help narrow down the search and save time. Here are some factors to think about…

  • Light source. Some veterinarians prefer headlamps or loupes, while others prefer overhead lighting. Although this is a personal choice, it may be beneficial to have a permanent overhead light fixture available for all associates, relief vets, and others who may be using the surgery suite.

  • Type of light. LED lights are a very popular option due to their energy efficiency, brightness, low heat production, and long lifespan. 

  • Brightness. Bright light is great for seeing more of the surgical field in detail. However, it’s possible to have ‘too much of a good thing. Some people develop headaches from lighting that is overly bright, or the light may create an intense glare off of surgical instruments. A good balance may include surgical lights that have multiple brightness settings or dimming capabilities, so the surgeon can adjust the brightness as needed.

  • Shadow reduction. Look for veterinary surgical lights designed to reduce harsh shadows that could otherwise distort visibility in the surgical field.

Surgical Light Positioning and Portability

Permanent light fixtures may be mounted in the room on the wall or ceiling. Sometimes, a practice’s ceiling height plays a role in determining which light fixture setup is the best fit.

Look for surgical lights on moveable arms that have minimal drift, so that the surgeon can move the light as needed and the light will stay where they put it.

Some practices use double surgical lights rather than a single light, to avoid shadowing. But it’s also possible to choose a single light designed to minimize shadows, or even combine an overhead surgical light with a headlamp or loupe.

In some cases, a portable light on a stand might make sense. This depends on the setup of your clinic.

Also, consider how many lights your practice needs. It’s usually beneficial to have a separate light for the dental suite and wet table since this area doesn’t maintain the same level of sterility as a surgical suite.

Additional Considerations

Here are a few other practical considerations for choosing surgical lighting for a veterinary clinic…

  • Good lighting is an investment, but it must fit into your financial plan. Talk to veterinary business or financial consultants to see which financing options are available and how payments will fit into your monthly cash flow. Remember to ask about tax benefits for equipment purchases, as well as whether any rebates are available (from your municipality or local power company) for switching to LED lighting.

  • Find out about warranties, maintenance plans, or other ways to protect your investment.

  • Make sure the light is easy to clean. Since it’s in the surgery suite, thorough cleaning is a must. See about the availability of sterile handles or coverings that allow the veterinarian to move the light while scrubbed in.

  • Look at your state’s requirements. Some may require a built-in surgery light and/or a backup lighting supply in case of a power outage. Make sure your lighting choice keeps you on the right side of any local regulations.

Conclusion

Adequate surgery lighting is crucial for any veterinary practice where surgeries and procedures are performed. But the best lighting choice and setup depends on your practice’s space and specific requirements.

Ask colleagues for opinions and recommendations on their favorite surgery lights. Think about the layout of your surgery suite and how many procedures your doctors typically perform. 

Make a list of the features you need. This will help narrow down the choices so you can find the perfect lighting setup for your clinic.

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

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Veterinary Lighting: Choosing Lights for the Exam Room

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Veterinary exam lights are crucial pieces of equipment. But it’s easy to overlook lighting, which is such a normal part of our home and business lives that we might not consciously think about it that often.

Here, we’ll discuss veterinary exam lighting, how exam room lights affect daily practice and some considerations for choosing the best lighting in your clinic.

Why Do Veterinary Exam Lights Matter So Much?

Good lighting, set up properly for the space, can have implications on the medical aspects of a patient’s visit, the client’s experience, and more. Here’s how…

  • Sufficient ambient light in the exam room is required to perform a patient’s physical examination.

  • Additionally, a focused light source allows the veterinarian and other team members to see better. This means better visibility for spaces such as inside the patient’s mouth or between their toes. It also potentially means discovering more subtle lesions such as skin, fur, and eye changes.

  • Lighting quality—including brightness, color, and flicker—can affect mood. This may carry over to staff, patients, and clients alike. 

  • An adequate light source allows a veterinarian or team member to highlight lesions or other aspects of the physical examination during client education. Although explaining things with words is important, helping the client visualize what you’re talking about can be worth a thousand words.

  • From a practical standpoint, veterinary exam lights affect the practice’s monthly electric bill and may alter exam room temperatures. And adequate lighting is probably better for eye health for all team members in the long term. 

Ambient Light in the Exam Room

Veterinary exam room light requirements vary depending on the space in which they’ll be used. For example, larger exam rooms may require more lighting than smaller ones. And light sources may appear different in rooms with natural light than they do in rooms with no windows.

First, consider natural light sources. Natural light is calming for pets and humans alike. But it’s variable.

Maybe light from the window is perfect at certain times of day, but insufficient in the evenings or on rainy days. And maybe sunlight from the window becomes blinding at sunset.

Add window shielding for times when sunlight is uncomfortably bright. Supplement with indoor lighting. And have blackout curtains for times when total darkness is needed, such as during an eye workup or Wood’s lamp examination.

Here are some additional factors to consider…

  • Type of lighting. Common options include incandescent/filament, fluorescent, and LED. LED lights are popular due to their efficiency, i.e., low heat, long lifespan, and cost savings by operating with less energy. 

  • Brightness. For ambient lighting, soft light that mimics daylight color is generally favored. Soft light is considered more calming than bright light (for humans and animals alike). 

  • Flicker and hum. These factors may cause stress or discomfort in some people and animals. In general, modern LED lights are quieter than fluorescent. In terms of flicker, there is some debate as to how much people and animals are affected by this and which type of lighting is best. But overall, the flicker of high-quality LEDs is considered less bothersome because it is less visible to the naked eye.

Focused Veterinary Exam Lighting

Ambient lighting is often supplemented by an additional light source—one that is bright focused, and moveable. 

A common example is a wall or ceiling-mounted LED exam light on a moveable arm. This light source can be moved to focus on parts of the body that need a closer exam (the patient’s ventrum, ear, or mouth, for example). 

Choosing a moveable light source on an arm with minimal drift helps keep the light where you want it, to facilitate the patient’s physical exam and highlight lesions for clients.

Here are some qualities to look for in a veterinary exam light…

  • Type of lighting. LED lights are popular due to efficiency, brightness, long lifespan of the bulbs, and the fact that they produce less heat than many other types of lighting.

  • Settings/dimming options. Some staff members require brighter lighting to see, while others may get headaches or discomfort with very bright lights. Different brightness settings, or dimming options, can solve this problem by allowing everyone to adjust the light to their preference.

  • Shadows. Look for exam lights designed to reduce harsh shadows, which allows for better visualization of the area you’re looking at.

  • Color rendering index (CRI). A color rendering index of 80 or above is ideal, for less color distortion. (This is true for ambient lighting, too.)

Lighting Up Your Exam Rooms

A focused veterinary exam light, together with comfortable ambient light, can make a great combination for a veterinary exam room. 

This combo allows for a comfortable, more soothing space that doesn’t feel bright and sterile like a hospital—and yet, a vet can switch on the brighter exam light when needed to make sure they see everything, for a full evaluation and documentation in the medical record.

As with any equipment purchase, consider financing options, warranty and service plans, ease of cleaning, and whether used veterinary lighting might be a good option for your practice. 

Adequate lighting that is easy to use and adjust will help make the room comfortable and make daily practice flow a bit easier. 

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

Burton Veterinary LED Surgery Light

The Burton Veterinary LED Surgery Light is designed for surgical procedures in small and large animals. This is an ideal alternative to incandescent or halogen surgery lights and has a long life span of over 50 times the average lifespan of these lights.

What is the best use for the Burton LED surgery light?

The Burton Veterinary LED Surgery Light is ideal for veterinary specialists in small animal practices and equine veterinarians who prefer to perform surgery under local anesthesia. The Burton Veterinary LED Equine and small animal practitioners also use surgery Lights for examinations and procedures. LED surgery lights are a cost-effective alternative to conventional halogen, Xenon, or fluorescent surgical lighting systems.

Why choose Burton Veterinary

Burton Veterinary manufactures an extensive line of premium quality surgical instrumentation, flexible endoscopes, accessories, and specialty devices explicitly designed with the needs of the high-performance professional in mind. The products are developed, focusing on innovation, quality, and performance. Every product is made by hand to ensure that customers receive medical devices that are safe, effective, and durable.

The Burton light has the following features.

Safe operating temperature - The light can endure temperatures up to 70ºC (158ºF) without affecting its performance. It also has a wide range of power settings that can be adjusted according to your needs and a thermal sensor to protect it from overheating.

LED lifetime

With each light using only 1/10th the power required by other lights, the Burton LED light can last up to 50 times longer than different types of lights do. Also, due to its high CRI rating of 95, this LED provides clear, bright illumination without being too harsh on your eyes.

With the Burton Veterinary LED Surgery Light, you have the operating power you need for your next surgical procedure.

Surgically precise and brighter than ever before, it delivers 70,000 lux at 1 m and a broad 4300 K color temperature. It's easy to adjust the light output to suit your needs with a 3-step dimmer (100%, 75%, 50%).

Adjustable angling head

The flexible head allows you to adjust the direction of the light as needed so that you can work on different angles with no problems.

With a larger adjustable light pattern and limitless arm rotation, this light is ideal to provide participants in surgical procedures with a clear view of their work area.

Featuring multiple LED technology, this surgery light minimizes shadowing and provides uniform illumination. Its sleek modern design is smooth and easy to clean, plus it comes backed by a 5-year limited warranty.

The light's cutting mode has a wide beam angle that illuminates the entire operating area. The viewing mode has a narrow beam angle to focus on small areas. The light is equipped with three lenses that can be quickly interchanged. Full-spectrum light is also available if the surgeon needs to perform surgery during daylight hours.

The Burton Veterinary LED Surgery Light is the most powerful, durable, and flexible surgical light available. This premier surgical light was designed to meet the demanding needs of today's veterinary practitioners.

Written by: Rachel Best