London surgery broadcast via virtual reality tech

  • 13 April 2016
London surgery broadcast via virtual reality tech
A surgery will be broadcast via VR technology for the first time from Barts Health NHS Trust

An operation performed tomorrow (14 April) at a London hospital on a patient with colon cancer will be the first in the world to be broadcast live through virtual reality technology.

Thousands of medical students will watch the surgery, performed at Barts Health NHS Trust by leading cancer surgeon Dr Shafi Ahmed, remotely though VR headsets and using their smartphones.

Barts Health is working with Medical Realities, a healthcare company set up by Ahmed to transform medical training through VR and augmented reality, as well as live streaming and VR specialists Mativision.

The operation will be filmed on two 360° cameras with multiple lenses and live streamed to enable viewers to move around the theatre and zoom in and out of any aspect of the operation.

A number of medical students from Barts Health have been provided with VR headsets and will be participating in the operation from nearby seminar rooms in the hospital and at Queen Mary University of London.

Others are expected to log in from medical schools around the world. Viewers without a VR headset can still watch the operation on a smartphone or computer screen.

The aim is to host many more VR surgeries on the Mativision app, ‘VR in OR’ and Medical Realities website. Mativision and Medical Realities want to overlay the video on demand content with CGI graphics and labels creating an interactive educational experience.

Ahmed described the surgery as an, “unparalleled learning opportunity.

“As a champion of new technology in medicine, I believe that virtual and augmented reality can revolutionise surgical education and training, particularly for developing countries that don’t have the resources and facilities of NHS hospitals.”

 

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Sign up

Related News

Northumbria Healthcare launches app to support cancer patients

Northumbria Healthcare launches app to support cancer patients

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has launched an app to provide easy access to support and guidance for cancer patients.
VR improves patient experience at Leeds Children’s Hospital

VR improves patient experience at Leeds Children’s Hospital

Virtual reality technology at Leeds Children's Hospital is enabling young patients to undergo medical procedures without general anaesthetic.
Perci Health raises £3m to scale AI-powered virtual cancer clinic

Perci Health raises £3m to scale AI-powered virtual cancer clinic

Perci Health has raised £3m in its latest funding round supporting it to scale its AI-powered, multidisciplinary cancer care care clinic.