Real-time viewing replicates open surgery

Less invasive cardiac procedures are getting a shot in the arm from new devices that help surgeons see inside the body. Recently cleared for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration is Vista's Series 8000 Advanced Visualization and Information System which provides a three-dimensional, stereoscopic image of internal organs in real time. The image appears before surgeons' eyes in head-mounted displays so they no longer have to look up at a monitor. The system is available through Vista Medical Technologies in Westborough, MA, and is offered on a $500 fee-for-procedure basis. Initial installation costs $5,000.