Virtual reality, augmented reality and surgical training
memory due to the ability to visualize the images mentally. In addition, having AR technology while carrying out training can show you the position of the blood vessels, neurons, and organs, which allows you to familiarize the locations of these different parts so that when performing the surgery, mistakes would be less likely to occur. Another advantage it brings is increased accessibility. Especially during the pandemic, carrying out training in the hospital would not have been convenient. If AR and VR are used, this not only relieves the stress on hospital staff in the hospital but would involve more students in the training process. Being able to use AR and VR also allows users to practise their surgical skills without risking exposure to the coronavirus. Moreover, the surgeon has to perform fifty to a hundred times for a procedure to reach proficiency as the cases become more complex. With the use of these modern technologies, trainees can repeat these scenarios with ease. VR training was implemented into UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, and it shows that the VR platform 'improved participants' overall surgical performance by 230% compared with traditional methods' (Blumstein, 2019). Trainees were also able to complete the surgical procedure 20% faster on average and 38% steps were done correctly. Although some would say that traditional training provides haptic feedback when holding the equipment and cutting into things, the rapid development of FundamentalVR also provides the same effects as real-life training. However, a research study in 2018 reported that 'haptic feedback helped with learning complex but offered only ‘ minor improvements for novice surgeons ’ (Vincent, 2018). Furthermore, the use of AR and VR allows for telementoring, so mentors and professionals will have access and see what the trainees are doing, while also providing tailored guidance and assistance.
On the other hand, traditional training methods do have their benefits. One of their benefits that current AR and VR technology cannot recreate is the sudden and unexpected scenarios taking place during the surgery. If the surgeon trainees relied too much on AR and VR and were to encounter uncertainties, they would not be flexible and adapt to the situation. Other vital components of surgical competence, for example, decision making, are not considered, where the artificial simulations eliminate the external factors
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affecting the users to make the right choice, such as the patient's decision and their family's decisions. Another component is communication, where technologies lack interactions with other people, such as breaking bad news, or discussing with colleagues. But the evolution of technology and artificial intelligence should be able to solve this issue. The last component is emotion. Since trainees are used to practising in the simulated environment, any mistakes would not affect real life, meaning that it cannot create the same urgency and intense atmosphere that is present in real-life surgery. In addition, technology varies for different people: some might find it easy to use, while it may not be user-friendly for others, and the struggling trainees would not find it useful. Another issue with technology is the devices that are used, such as VR headsets, which are very bulky and not comfortable when worn for long periods. These headsets are also quite hard to store and must be kept in safe locations. Besides, the cost of running and buying the equipment and software are expensive and can be a significant challenge for many institutions. Lastly, the current technology might not be advanced enough to provide intricate details of a variety of functions. For example, some of the minor and smaller tissues and vessels cannot be targeted and interacted with, which can become a problem if users are too reliant on the technology as they might not be aware of them.
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