New York's Rensselaer Researchers Plan Virtual Reality OR to Train Surgeons

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., is partnering with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Tufts University in Boston to create a virtual operating room to train surgeons, according to a Rensselaer news release.

The virtual OR will simulate a minimally invasive surgical technique called single-incision laparoscopic surgery for procedures such as gallbladder removal and gastric banding. The virtual OR will test a virtual reality simulator Rensselaer Professor Suvranu De is developing using a $2.7 million National Institutes of Health grant he was awarded earlier this year. The simulator will include touch-sensitive surgical instruments, a 3-D headset and a "virtual mentor" to provide feedback on the trainee's behavior.

The goal of the project is to standardize surgical skill training, quantify performance and reduce surgical errors by creating a life-like environment that allows surgeons to safely practice procedures.

Related Articles on OR Training:

Study: VA Training Program Reduced Surgical Adverse Events, But More Improvement Needed
Study: Can Operating Room "War Stories" Educate Trainees?

Study: Surgical Intern Survival Skills Class Can Improve Confidence Levels

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