The current and future use of imaging in urological robotic surgery: new survey of ERUS surgeons
With the development of augmented reality operating platforms, the way surgeons use imaging as a real-time adjunct to surgical technique is changing.
A recent survey distributed to the European Robotic Urological Society (ERUS) mailing list included a questionnaire with three themes: surgeon demographics, current use of imaging, and potential uses of an augmented reality operating environment in robotic urological surgery.
According to the June 2014 study published in The International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery, 87% of the ERUS survey respondents felt there was a role for augmented reality as a navigation tool in robotic surgery.
According to the abstract, “This survey has revealed the contemporary robotic surgeon to be comfortable in the use of imaging for intraoperative planning . . . it also suggests that there is a desire for augmented reality platforms within the urological community.”
“Augmented reality really is the ‘way of the future’ for surgical training,” explained Jan Ostman, VP Marketing & International Sales for Mimic Technologies. “That’s why we’ve been focused on creating robotic surgery training simulation solutions with this type of imaging technology.”
With Maestro AR™ (augmented reality), Mimic introduced the first robotic surgery simulation technology that provides 3D virtual instruments for interaction with anatomy in a 3D video environment. It addresses demand from the robotic community for truly interactive procedure-specific simulation.
“The parallel is that in order to use navigation, surgeons must be prepared, demonstrating familiarity with the procedure, which is where Maestro AR comes in,” explains Todd Larson, Executive Director of Mimic Medical Education & Development (MimicMED). “We are using augmented reality to teach the surgical steps, anatomy and help trainees predict regions for dissection.”
Using the dV-Trainer®, surgeons using Maestro AR manipulate virtual robotic instruments to interact with anatomical regions within augmented 3D case video footage. Learn more and watch a preview video of the first module: Maestro AR for Partial Nephrectomy