VR Surgical Planning: Patient-Specific Procedure Rehearsal

Practice Complex Cases Before Entering Theater

Complex surgical procedures benefit from pre-operative planning and team coordination, but traditional planning using 2D scans and abstract discussions cannot fully prepare teams for patient-specific anatomical challenges. Unexpected complications discovered during procedures increase risk and operating time. VR surgical planning systems convert patient imaging into explorable 3D environments where surgical teams rehearse procedures using actual patient anatomy—identifying challenges, planning approaches, and coordinating team roles before making the first incision. This improves outcomes while reducing operating time and complication risks.

Implementations focus on complex procedures where patient-specific planning delivers significant outcome improvements. Development timelines of 6-8 weeks include imaging integration and procedure simulation tools. Medical facilities report reduced operating times and improved surgical outcomes, with teams identifying and solving problems during VR planning that would have complicated actual procedures, particularly benefiting patients with unusual anatomical presentations.

Surgical Outcome Benefits

• Challenge identification revealing anatomical complications before procedures begin
• Approach optimization testing multiple surgical strategies risk-free in patient-specific anatomy
• Team coordination rehearsing roles and communication in realistic procedure environments
• Time efficiency reducing operating duration through pre-planned approach execution