Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025
Technical Approach for Infrared Tracking for Soft Tissue Navigation with a Holographic Head-Mounted Display and Preclinical Validation
Published on: September 2, 2025
Training in soft tissue resection using real-time visual computer navigation feedback from the Surgery Tutor: A
Meredith Poole1, Tamas Ungi1, Gabor Fichtinger1
1Kingston Health Sciences Center, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
In competency-based medical education, surgery trainees are often required to learn procedural skills in a simulated setting before proceeding to the clinical environment. The Surgery Tutor computer navigation platform allows for real-time proctor-less assessment of open soft tissue resection skills; however, the use of this platform as an aid in acquisition of procedural skills is yet to be explored.
Methods:
In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 20 final year medical students were randomized to receive either training with real-time computer navigation feedback (Intervention, n = 10) or simulation training without navigation feedback (Control, n = 10) during resection of simulated non-palpable soft tissue tumors. Real-time computer navigation feedback allowed participants to visualize the position of their scalpel relative to the tumor. Computer navigation feedback was removed for postintervention assessment. Primary outcome was positive margin rate. Secondary outcomes were procedure time, mass of tissue excised, number of scalpel motions, and distance traveled by the scalpel.
Results:
Training with real-time computer navigation resulted in a significantly lower positive margin rate as compared to training without navigation feedback (0% vs 40%, P = .025). All other performance metrics were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Participants in the intervention group displayed significant improvement in positive margin rate from baseline to final assessment (80% vs 0%, P < .01), whereas participants in the Control group did not.
Conclusion:
Real-time visual computer navigation feedback from the Surgery Tutor resulted in superior acquisition of procedural skills as compared to training without navigation feedback.
