Augmented reality headset bolsters reconstructive surgery (OrthoFeed)
Surgeons use Microsoft HoloLens headsets while operating on patients undergoing reconstructive lower limb surgery.
Using an augmented reality (AR) headset to view CT angiography (CTA) images allowed researchers from the U.K. to improve the accuracy and speed of reconstructive surgery in the leg for a series of cases detailed in an article published online on 31 January in European Radiology Experimental.
The team of surgeons and radiologists from Imperial College London modified CTA scans of the lower limb through various computer software. By wearing an augmented reality gadget, they were able to visualize medical images directly on the patient’s leg and, what’s more, manipulate this virtual anatomy with hand gestures during surgery (Eur Radiol Exp, 31 January 2018).
Incorporating augmented reality in the operating room facilitated the identification, dissection, and attachment of blood vessels during leg surgery and ultimately reduced surgical time and morbidity, according to the authors.
“There are a number of areas we would like to explore, and further improvements are needed, but the small case series has sh...
