Much has been written about the transition of OR lighting away from traditional incandescent technology to LED technology. By now, some of the advantages of LED roll off the tongue; less heat, longer life, better energy efficiency. But these advantages are just the beginning.
If the point of new technology is to provide better patient outcomes, only one of these often stated advantages, less heat, directly applies. LEDs radiate much less heat than incandescent bulbs, so the surgeon and staff are more comfortable important during long cases). And cooler light means less heat in the surgical field, reducing the risk of drying out exposed tissue. There are several other advantages of LED lighting, beyond reducing heat, that have direct clinical benefits.