Augmented Reality in Surgery: Benefits and Challenges

Original Article: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/995812?ecd=wnl_edit_tpal_etid5987313&uac=473664CY&impID=5987313

Augmented reality in the operating room

Augmented reality (AR) is being used in surgery to help doctors navigate during operations. It’s like a GPS for the operating room. Surgeons can see 3D images of the body while looking at the patient, which makes surgery easier. AR is currently being explored in spine surgery, and it involves four main steps: getting the data ready, making sure it lines up with the patient, tracking what’s happening, and showing the images to the surgeon. Recent research shows that AR can improve the accuracy of surgery, make it more comfortable for the surgeon, and reduce the time it takes to do the operation. AR is also helpful for training and teaching surgeons, even from a distance.

Benefits of AR in Surgery:

AR in surgery has some great benefits. It helps surgeons find the right places to work on with more accuracy. Surgeons can focus on the patient without constantly looking at other screens. This technology is also useful for training new surgeons and letting experienced ones learn from each other, no matter where they are. It’s a real game-changer in making surgery better.

Challenges and Future:

But there are some challenges. AR equipment can be expensive, and some doctors might not feel very comfortable using it yet. As AR gets more common, it will depend on whether it’s cost-effective. If it’s affordable and surgeons get used to it, we might see even more amazing uses for AR in surgery in the future.