Dr. Jake Shine, a third-year orthopedics resident at Kettering Health Dayton in Ohio, had an unconventional approach to preparing for his first major shoulder-replacement surgery. Just days before the procedure, he donned a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset and immersed himself in a 3D simulation of the surgery. This procedure, known as a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, is complex, involving delicate maneuvers around vital structures.
Shine was not alone in this endeavor; his attending physician, who would supervise the surgery, joined him in the virtual realm. The VR simulation offered them a chance to navigate through the surgery, fine-tuning their approach. Shine even took the VR simulation home to practice, repeating the process several times before the actual surgery.
The results were promising. Shine reported that the surgery went smoothly, without complications, and the patient made a full recovery. He believes that VR played a pivotal role, enabling him to learn and prepare extensively without any risk to the patient. In his view, the surgery progressed more efficiently than it might have without the VR training.
This innovative approach is part of a broader trend in healthcare, where virtual reality, or VR, is being explored as a tool to enhance medical training and patient care. While consumer VR has yet to achieve mainstream adoption and remains a costly venture for Meta (formerly Facebook), it is finding its niche in healthcare.
Promise in improving health outcomes
The broader category known as “extended reality” includes VR, where users are fully immersed in a digital environment, and augmented reality (AR), where digital overlays are added to the real world. VR, in particular, shows promise in improving health outcomes.
Meta, previously Facebook, entered the VR market with its acquisition of Oculus in 2014. Over the years, it introduced stand-alone headsets like the Quest 2. In 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg investing billions in the metaverse concept. Despite the financial challenges, Meta’s Reality Labs unit, responsible for VR and AR, continues to innovate.
Apple is also entering the VR market with its high-end Vision Pro headset, set to debut next year. In the healthcare realm, these technologies hold potential for medical training and patient care. For example, Elsevier Health’s Complete HeartX mixed reality offering aims to prepare medical students using hyper-realistic 3D models and animations for a better understanding of complex medical conditions.
While the cost-effectiveness of widespread VR adoption in healthcare remains uncertain, early success stories like Dr. Shine’s surgery preparation suggest that VR could revolutionize medical training and patient outcomes in the future.