Augmented Reality Microsurgery: A Tool for Training Micromanipulations in Ophthalmic Surgery Using Augmented Reality

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmic Surgery
• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Traditional microsurgical training faces limitations in human model transferability, cost, and ethics.
• Surgery simulations offer a viable alternative to overcome these training challenges.
• Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) can enhance the efficiency of surgical skill acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an augmented reality (AR) microsurgery simulator integrated with an ITS for ophthalmic surgery training.
• To compare learning efficiency between an adaptive ITS and a fixed training sequence.

Main Methods:

• Developed a custom AR microsurgery simulator tracking micromanipulator movements within a 3D eye model.
• Defined five subtasks for internal limiting membrane peeling based on expert surgeon input.
• Trained 50 participants in two sessions using either the adaptive ITS or a fixed task sequence.

Main Results:

• Both ITS and traditional training methods showed significant initial improvements in micromanipulation.
• Only participants using the ITS demonstrated further performance gains in the second training session.

Conclusions:

• AR simulation is a usable tool for ophthalmic microsurgical training.
• ITS application in surgical training shows potential for enhanced learning outcomes.
• This study validates AR simulation and ITS as effective components of modern surgical education.