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Frequently Asked Questions


About the Surgical Streaming Society (SSS) and STYCH.TV

The Surgical Streaming Society (SSS), hosted on the STYCH.TV video collaboration platform, is an exclusive, academic, members-only surgical society. It provides a private forum for surgeons to stream their surgical procedures live to other members, facilitating real-time interaction. Members can view live surgeries, communicate via messages with a moderator and each other during the procedures, and engage with surgical highlight clips posted on the site. SSS fosters philosophical discussions among its members, aiming for both personal and professional enlightenment. It's a unique blend of cutting-edge technology and academic collaboration designed to push the boundaries of surgical education and practice.

STYCH.TV is a private and secure video collaboration platform designed specifically for surgeons. It offers a suite of features to enhance surgical education and collaboration among members of the Surgical Streaming Society (SSS). Key functionalities include:
  • Live Streaming: Surgeons can broadcast their surgeries live to members of the SSS, providing a real-time educational experience.
  • Viewing Control: The platform gives streaming surgeons the ability to choose which members can view their live surgeries, providing them with complete control over who can view their live stream.
  • Virtual OR Participation: Surgeons can allow specific SSS members to join them virtually in the operating room, fostering an interactive learning environment.
  • Quick Editing and Sharing: After the surgery, streaming surgeons can easily edit their surgical videos into de-identified highlight clips. These clips can be published on the STYCH.TV platform or shared on social media, extending the educational reach.
STYCH.TV stands out for its commitment to security and privacy, ensuring that all interactions and content shared on the platform meet the highest standards of confidentiality. This makes it an ideal tool for surgeons looking to share knowledge, learn new techniques, and enhance their practice through collaborative exchange.
Membership and Participation

At the moment, the Surgical Streaming Society is in its beta-testing phase and exclusively available to ophthalmologists. We are open to the idea of expanding our community to include surgeons from various specialties in the future. If you're interested in seeing the Surgical Streaming Society grow to encompass other fields, we encourage you to express your interest through a submission in our Comments section on our About page.

At this stage in our beta-testing phase, membership to the Surgical Streaming Society is extended through invitations only. However, you are welcome to express your interest in joining the SSS by submitting a request in the Comments section on our About page.
Platform Functionality and Technical Setup

To begin streaming surgeries on the SSS platform, you'll need a few key pieces of equipment for a seamless experience:
  • A laptop (either Mac or PC), which will use its camera for a room view.
  • An HDMI or SDI 4K Magewell Video Converter, or an equivalent device, for high-quality video streaming.
  • A Bluetooth wireless headset, with the SHOKZ bone-conducting OpenComm2 headset recommended for clear communication in the OR.

Follow these steps to connect your microscope:
  1. Connect the HDMI (or SDI) output from the microscope to the HDMI (or SDI) input of the Magewell 4K Video Converter.
  2. Link the loopback HDMI output from the Video Converter to a room monitor for local viewing.
  3. Use a USB cable to connect the Video Converter to your laptop, which streams the video to the SSS platform.
  4. If your microscope does not initially connect, turn off the microscope, disconnect all cables, wait for one minute, reconnect, and restart the microscope.
  5. Should issues persist, try using a different 4K-rated HDMI cable, ensuring it's no longer than 6 feet. Note: Some Zeiss microscopes may require a DVI to HDMI adapter due to having a DVI port instead of HDMI.

To use a Bluetooth headset like the SHOKZ OpenComm2 for streaming:
  1. Remember that only one Bluetooth headset can be connected to your laptop at a time.
  2. Disable Bluetooth on your phone to avoid any connection interference.
  3. The bone conduction feature of the OpenComm2 headset allows you to remain aware of your surroundings in the OR, although any headset can be utilized.
  4. Always conduct a microphone and speaker test before starting your live stream to ensure clear communication.
Financial Contributions and Benefits

The Surgical Streaming Society video streaming platform requires on-going software updates and maintenance, cloud-based secure servers and media storage, legal guidance, and administrative support in order to remain operational. Monthly membership fees are critical to the success of the Streaming Surgical Society.

Donating to the Surgical Streaming Society is an excellent opportunity for individuals who are passionate about advancing the fields of surgery and education through innovation. By supporting us, you contribute to a platform that leverages cutting-edge technology to facilitate rich, philosophical discussions and real-time educational exchanges. Your donation helps enhance the quality of surgical training, promotes professional growth, and fosters a community of surgeons dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in medical education and patient care.

The Surgical Streaming Society (SSS) offers a unique platform that enhances surgical education and collaboration. By providing live streaming of surgeries, the SSS enables surgeons to learn from each other in real-time, share innovative techniques, and discuss complex cases. This interactive learning environment encourages the continuous improvement of surgical skills, adoption of best practices, and incorporation of the latest technological advancements. As a result, the SSS plays a crucial role in elevating the standard of surgical care provided to patients.

Yes. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and open exchange of knowledge, the SSS helps surgeons stay informed about the latest surgical techniques, safety protocols, and risk management strategies. Access to a broad range of surgical procedures and expert insights allows surgeons to refine their skills, anticipate potential complications, and make informed decisions during surgeries. Improved surgical proficiency and awareness of best practices can lead to better patient outcomes and, consequently, a lower risk of adverse events that could result in medical liability claims.
Future Plans and Expansion

The Surgical Streaming Society is gearing up for an exciting phase that will allow Registered Viewers to engage with our platform more extensively. In the near future, individuals interested in surgical education will be able to create Registered Viewer accounts. This access will enable them to view the most recent and most viewed video highlight clips shared by our members. It's a significant step towards broadening our educational reach and making high-quality surgical content accessible to a wider audience.
Furthermore, the SSS is not stopping at national borders. We have ambitious plans to expand our reach beyond the United States, opening up opportunities for international surgeons and medical professionals to join our community. This expansion will foster a more diverse and globally inclusive environment, enriching our platform with a wide range of surgical techniques, perspectives, and knowledge from various cultures and healthcare systems. Stay tuned for more details as we continue to work towards these milestones.

We value the input of our members and are always looking to enhance the Surgical Streaming Society platform. If you have suggestions for improvements or ideas for new features, we encourage you to share them with us. Please utilize the Comments section on the About page to submit your ideas and feedback directly to our team. This is the quickest way to ensure your suggestions are seen and considered.
We review all suggestions and feedback with the aim of continually improving the platform to meet the needs of our community. While we cannot guarantee that every suggestion will be implemented, we promise to give each idea careful consideration. Thank you for helping to make the Surgical Streaming Society even better.
Privacy, Security, and HIPAA Compliance

Yes, the Surgical Streaming Society and the STYCH.TV video collaboration platform prioritizes the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI) with several key measures:
  • Secure Environment: We use robust security measures to protect both the physical and digital aspects of our platform, including server protections, network, and firewall configurations.
  • User Verification: Our platform ensures that only authorized individuals can access it through strong authentication measures, role-based access controls, and detailed audit logs.
  • Data Encryption: All data, whether stored or transmitted, is encrypted to maintain confidentiality and integrity. This includes SSL encryption for data in transit and encryption for stored data.
  • Staff Training: Our team is regularly trained on privacy policies and procedures, emphasizing the importance of PHI protection.
Industry Partnership

Companies interested in partnership opportunities can contact the SSS team directly via the Comments section on the About page to discuss the various partnership packages and collaborative opportunities available. We tailor our partnership agreements to meet the strategic goals of our partners, ensuring mutual benefit and impact.

Industry partners enjoy a range of benefits, including:
  • Brand Visibility: Your logo and messaging will be prominently displayed across the SSS platform and in related communications, increasing your brand's exposure to a specialized audience.
  • Targeted Engagement: Real time access to a community of top-tier eye surgeons and healthcare professionals interested in the latest surgical techniques and technologies.
  • Thought Leadership Opportunities: Position your company as a leader in the field by contributing to educational content, webinars, and live discussions on the platform.
  • Innovative Collaboration: Collaborate on projects that showcase your products or services in action, demonstrating their value in a real-world surgical setting.

Yes, industry partners can provide educational content which will appear in a designated section separate from SSS content, ensuring clarity between academic and sponsored materials. Contributions might include product demos, surgical techniques using sponsor products, or webinars relevant to our mission. The SSS team reviews all submissions to verify they align with our educational criteria.
Registered Viewer Accounts and Accessibility

A Registered Viewer Account on the SSS Platform is designed for individuals who are not currently members of the Surgical Streaming Society but wish to engage with the platform's content. By agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy, users can sign up for this account using only their email address. This type of account grants limited access, allowing users to explore and watch the most recent and most popular surgical highlight clips shared by SSS members. It's a great way for non-members to get a glimpse of the valuable educational content available through the SSS, fostering a broader interest in surgical education and collaboration.

Detailed information regarding our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions is readily accessible to ensure transparency and trust with our members and users. You can find these important documents in the footer of our website, available on every page for easy access. We strongly encourage all users to review these documents to understand how we protect your information and the guidelines governing the use of our platform. If you have any questions or need further clarification on any of the points covered, please feel free to reach out to us directly in the Comments section of the About page.