Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS FT has taken to virtual reality technology to help prepare and train its surgeons of the future.
The simulation tech allows trainees to practice and develop their surgical skills before they go into a real operating theatre.
Trainees create an avatar and are transported into a virtual lecture theatre, wearing a headset and holding motion controllers in each hand. They then move into the virtual operating theatre to practice knee replacements, hip replacements and anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions.
Mr Adil Ajuied, a consultant specialist knee surgeon, said: “Virtual reality is not just for gamers entering an electronic world. This type of surgical training is very much like an aviation simulator – pilots learn how to fly aeroplanes on the ground before they ever get onto an aeroplane with passengers. The benefit for our patients is that they will be cared for and treated by surgeons who have had the opportunity to rehearse, practice and run through their surgical procedures.”
Mr Thomas Lewis, a trauma and orthopaedic surgery specialty trainee, added : “The thing about surgical training is it’s all about exposure to theatre time and patients, but obviously patients don’t want us to be practicing on them so we want to get as much experience before going into theatre as possible.
“The best thing about this virtual reality technology is it allows us to be in theatre, do procedures, learn all the steps and know exactly what is going on. The benefit for patients in the long run is that the surgeons of the future who will be coming through will have better training, better opportunities and will therefore provide even better care.”
Earlier in the year through the HTN feature series we delved into how immersive technology is being used in healthcare. The feature highlighted projects that ranged from Sheffield Children’s virtual reality app to help children before surgery, to a children’s hospice offering virtual reality to help families see inside the facilities to understand what to expect.
