Usefulness of Mixed Reality in Surgical Treatment: Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Mixed Reality (MR) applications in medicine
• Surgical technology innovation
• Human-computer interaction in healthcare

Background:

• Mixed reality (MR) integrates real and virtual elements, offering potential in diverse fields, including surgery.
• MR headsets can enhance surgical navigation, planning, and training, but their indispensability requires assessment.
• This study employed the Delphi method and PRISMA framework to evaluate MR's utility in surgical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and benefits of mixed reality (MR) technology within surgical contexts.
• To guide healthcare professionals, researchers, and developers in integrating MR to improve surgical quality and safety.

Main Methods:

• A 3-round Delphi approach was used with 22 experts in virtual reality, augmented reality, and surgical technologies.
• Round 1 involved open-ended questions on MR applications; subsequent rounds refined and presented consensus data.
• Consensus was defined as agreement by at least 70% of participants.

Main Results:

• A 95% consensus was reached on the usefulness of MR in surgical treatment.
• Key benefits identified include surgical navigation (75%), planning (75%), and teaching/training (70%).
• Cost and investment were cited as primary constraints by 75% of experts.

Conclusions:

• Mixed reality (MR) technology offers substantial benefits for surgical navigation, planning, and training.
• Implementation costs and investments represent significant limitations to MR adoption in surgery.
• Ethical considerations, including patient safety and privacy, are crucial for MR integration.