Abstract: Objective To explore the application of GoPro in recording plastic surgery for documentary and tutorial purposes, thus obtaining optimal parameters for operative shoots. Methods The GoPro HERO 4 Silver Edition camera was head-mounted on the surgeon and oriented to the surgeon's perspective using the GoPro App. The camera was used to record:hemangioma interventional surgery (1 case), nasal reconstruction procedure (1 case), pouch resection (1 case) and rhinoplasty with autologous ear cartilage graft (1 case). During case 3, the surgeon was equipped with an additional headlamp. For case 4 the GoPro was mounted with a macro lens to zoom up close on the surgical field. Results Camera settings for case 1 were as follows: 1080 p video resolution; 60 fps; low-light mode on; narrow field of view; 16:9 aspect ratio. The intervention display screen shown in the footage was overexposed. Within case 2 to case 4, the parameters mentioned above were adjusted to a narrow field of view, which enabled the camera's automatic white balance to better compensate for bright lights focused on the surgical field. The video captured in Case 2 was adequate for teaching or presenting. During case 3 the lighting contrast resulted in limited exposure due to the headlamp. For case 4, macro photography captured more details. Conclusion The GoPro HERO 4 Silver Edition camera enables high-quality, cost-effective video recording of plastic and reconstructive operation. When set to a narrow field of view and automatic white balance, the camera is able to sufficiently compensate for the contrasting light environment of the operating room and capture high-resolution and detailed video.

Key words: Surgical video recording, Mini camera, Plastic and reconstructive surgery