Inattentional blindness increased with augmented reality surgical navigation

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Surgical navigation
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Augmented reality (AR) systems aim to enhance surgical accuracy and efficiency.
• However, AR displays have been linked to negative impacts on surgeon attention.
• This study compares head-up AR displays to submonitor (SM) displays for surgical tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effect of head-up AR displays versus SM displays on surgeon attention, efficiency, and accuracy.
• To evaluate the impact on the recognition of unexpected surgical findings.

Main Methods:

• Fifty experienced otolaryngology surgeons and trainees performed an endoscopic navigation exercise on cadavers.
• Computed tomography (CT) data was fused with endoscopic images for AR visualization.
• Participants were randomized to AR navigation on a SM or as a single head-up display.

Main Results:

• Recognition of a foreign body was significantly better with SM (60%) compared to AR alone (32%).
• No significant differences were found in task completion time or overall accuracy between groups.
• SM presentation reduced inattentional blindness without compromising performance metrics.

Conclusions:

• Presenting surgical navigation on a SM, rather than a head-up AR display, mitigates inattentional blindness.
• This improvement in detecting unexpected findings occurs without impacting efficiency or accuracy.
• Caution is advised regarding the widespread adoption of single head-up AR displays in medical procedures due to potential distraction.