Virtual Reality Is Changing the Way Doctors Perform Surgery

Learning through observation has been a cornerstone of surgical education in the United States for over a hundred years. This practice is being increasingly challenged recently by legal and ethical concerns for patient safety, 80-hour resident work week restrictions, and the cost of operating room (OR) time. The emerging field of surgical simulation and virtual training offers an opportunity to teach and practice neurosurgical procedures outside of the OR. There is enormous potential to address patient safety, risk management concerns, OR management, and work hour requirements with more efficient and effective training methods.[4] The current goal of simulator training is to help trainees acquire the skills needed to perform complex surgical procedures before practicing them on patients...More

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114314/