Watch: Cable Disconnected Walkthrough

What is this alert?

URGENT: A case in this room finished without a recording, and no expected video input is reporting a signal. This usually means a video input cable has been disconnected from the theator unit, so the unit cannot see the surgical video feed from the affected input and cases are being missed or partially recorded.

The alert will specify the connection type (SDI or HDMI) so you know which cable to look for.

Why the alert may arrive a little later than the case: two short waits sit in front of it. A finished case is given 15 minutes for its recording to arrive before it counts as missing, and the problem must then persist for a further 15 minutes before an alert is raised. In practice you should expect an alert roughly 30 minutes after the case ends.

A recording that is simply still uploading clears on its own inside those windows, so the wait avoids alerting you about a case that recorded perfectly well. And because the alert is raised only after a case has already finished without video, the recording that triggered it is lost either way — the delay costs nothing recoverable and removes a large number of false alarms.

Impact

• Active cases are not being recorded on the affected input.
• Any cases that were missed while the cable was disconnected are unrecoverable.
• This is the highest priority alert — act immediately.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Alert Immediately

Open the alert in the Incidents Dashboard and click Acknowledge right away. This is urgent — don't wait.

Step 2: Check the Monitoring Pages

1. Go to Monitoring > Units in the theator app.

2. Find the affected unit. You will see:

   • A video input showing as disconnected or inactive
   • The connection type (SDI or HDMI) — this tells you which cable to look for

3. Note the room name and connection type before heading to the OR.

Step 3: Go to the Room Immediately

This is urgent. Go to the OR and check the video cable:

1. Identify the cable type:

   • SDI — round connector with a twist-lock mechanism (BNC connector)
   • HDMI — flat, trapezoidal connector

2. Check the theator unit end: Is the cable firmly connected to the correct input port on the unit?

   • For SDI: push in and twist to lock
   • For HDMI: push firmly until it clicks

3. Check the surgical tower end: Follow the cable to where it connects to the surgical tower/video source. Is it firmly connected to the output port?

4. Check the cable itself: Look for damage, sharp bends, or strain on the cable.

5. Check the video source: Is the surgical tower/camera system powered on and outputting video?

Step 4: Verify the Fix

1. Go to Monitoring > Units — confirm the video input now shows as active.
2. Check Monitoring > Room Schedule — if there's a case in progress, verify that recording has resumed.
3. The video input should show a recent frame preview when active.

Step 5: Resolve the Alert

1. Return to the Incidents Dashboard.

2. Click Resolve on the incident.

3. Add a note, for example:

   • "SDI cable was disconnected from unit port 1. Re-seated cable."
   • "HDMI cable loose at surgical tower output. Reconnected."
   • "Cable was damaged. Replaced with spare SDI cable."

When to Escalate

Escalate to theator support if:

• The cable is reconnected but video is still not detected
• The cable or connector is physically damaged
• The video source (surgical tower) appears to be malfunctioning
• You're unsure which cable or port to use
• The same cable keeps disconnecting

When escalating, include: unit name, room name, connection type (SDI/HDMI), port number, and what you tried. Note: Missed recordings during the disconnection period cannot be recovered.

Related Articles

• Understanding Customer Ops Alerts — Overview of all alert types and how they work
• Getting Started with the Incidents Dashboard — How to use the dashboard to manage alerts
• Daily Monitoring Checklist — Quick daily routine for biomed technicians and Clinical Engineers