Video is now common in the OR and endo-scopy suite, but the products are far from ho-hum. If you may buy video equipment in the near future, you'll be sorting through a dizzying array of new technology that includes digital output camera heads, DVD burners, flat-screen LCD monitors and fully integrated ORs that let the surgeon control all lights and equipment from within the sterile field. It comes with a price, of course, but surgeons and facility managers say efficiency and better surgical outcomes make the investment well worth it.

If you're not thinking about buying video equipment soon, you probably should be. Experts say upgrades are necessary every two or three years. The good news: Manufacturers are sensitive to the pressure to improve or add components, and are designing products to accommodate upgrades.