When we were students, they used to have slide projectors and slides for teaching and in conferences. Times changed. Now we have digital slides, software to show them, and LCD projectors to project them on a screen. In those days there used to be pointers of different types. Some were optical pointers, attached to the slide projectors. Then there were long pointed sticks, which would cast a pointed shadow on the screen, the tip of which would be used to point out the area of interest to viewers. I used to use a collapsible antenna of a television set. When expanded, it would be about 4 feet long. I recall once there was no pointer in a conference in Ranchi. I had not taken one along, because the organizers usually provided one. Finally I had to use a broom stick as a pointer. Laser pointers have been in use for a long time now, and have replaced all other pointers. I use it to point out important parts of visuals while teaching.
We have a lot of resident doctors in training, who are assisted by faculty while performing different operations. If I am assisting one, I can always touch the part of the operative field where I want the resident to do something. But if someone else is assisting, and I am offering advice where the assistant may be doing things differently, I have to give instructions. The instructions are somewhat along these lines.
“Stop! Don’t cut that.”
“What, Sir?”
“That blood vessel!”
“Here?” the assistant points somewhere and asks.
“No! No! There, on your right” I say, pointing with my index finger in the space well above the operative field.
“Here?” he asks, pointing somewhere far away from where the vessels is actually is.
“No! Lateral to where you are.”
This usually continues quite frustratingly for some time. I got tired of this. So one day I brought my laser pointer to the operation theater and used it to point out areas in the operative field. The laser point was clearly seen even in the intense light of the double-dome OT spot lights. That made things simple. There was no risk of one accidentally touching something in the operative field while pointing with an extended index finger.
