Image: Two surgeons with Virtual Reality headsets look at a floating model of a human heart; Copyright: PantherMedia/Gorodenkoff

Topic of the Month April 2021

Surgery in 3D: Virtual Reality in the OR

Surgeons do not only have to gather theoretical knowledge and practice to perform successful interventions. They also need a good visual thinking and have to know the anatomical characteristics of each individual patient. Some of these tasks will become easier when Virtual and Mixed Reality bring three-dimensional, digital models into their profession. In our Topic of the Month, we show what this can look like and where it can be useful.

Broader perspective: how Mixed and Virtual Reality transform surgery

Image: A physician in scrubs is putting on a Virtual Reality headset; Copyright: PantherMedia/Gorodenkoff

For surgeons, nothing is more important than intimate knowledge and a spatial understanding of their operating field. Yet even three-dimensional imaging methods only provide limited assistance because the data is viewed on two-dimensional screens. When it comes to surgical planning or medical education, Mixed and Virtual Reality foster a better spatial understanding of the human body.

Read the article about Mixed and Virtual Reality in the OR here

Surgical planning with immersive mixed reality

Image: A hand is touching a three-dimensional rendering of a human skull with blood vessel; Copyright: Brainlab

The job of surgeons starts long before they step into the operating room. They must use two-dimensional MRI or CT scans to plan the surgical steps on a three-dimensional patient, relying on their experience, skill, and spatial sense. Using mixed reality (MR) to view human anatomical models allows for better visualization and navigation.

Read the interview with Dr. Dominik Fischer here

Hip replacement: virtual surgical training with haptic technology

Image: A man wearing a VR headset is holding a surgical instrument that is attached to a robotic arm; Copyright: Dynamic HIPS

Surgeons have only limited options to practice surgical techniques before they enter the operating room. The implantation of an endoprosthesis requires extensive practical training since it necessitates strength and utmost precision. The "Dynamic HIPS" project develops a virtual reality hip implant simulator that provides realistic haptic feedback.

Read the interview with Dr. Mario Lorenz here

Video

Simulators for learning success – VR in surgical training

The most important resource in surgical education is the hands-on experience young surgeons are able to get in the OR. But the possibilities to perform surgery on real patients are very limited, and these situations cause insecurity and stress in beginners. Learn in our video from Jan Hillebrand, VirtaMed AG, Prof. Wolf Petersen, Martin Luther Hospital, and Prof. Dieter Hahnloser, University of Lausanne, how Virtual Reality can fill these gaps.