Extended, virtual and augmented reality in thoracic surgery: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Medical Technology
• Surgical Innovation
• Computer-Assisted Surgery

Background:

• Extended reality (XR), encompassing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), offers immersive user interaction with computer-generated environments.
• XR adoption is growing in medicine, with increasing feasibility for integration into daily practice.
• The specific applications of XR in thoracic surgery remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of Extended Reality (XR) in thoracic surgery.
• To identify the extent of XR adoption in this surgical field.

Main Methods:

• A systematic database search was performed across EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar.
• Searched for original articles on VR and/or AR use in thoracic surgery from inception to December 2020.

Main Results:

• 21 studies published between 2007 and 2019 were included from 1494 initial citations.
• Identified applications in thoracic surgery training, preoperative planning, and intraoperative assistance.
• XR demonstrated potential to accelerate learning curves, improve procedural accuracy, and enhance surgical confidence via 3D anatomical renderings.

Conclusions:

• Extended reality (XR) significantly advances thoracic surgical training.
• XR enhances preoperative planning and provides valuable intraoperative guidance.
• XR offers improved accuracy and confidence, especially for complex thoracic procedures.