Skull Base Virtual Reality Surgical Simulator Integrating Multilayered 3D Photorealistic Anatomic Models With 3D...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Medical Simulation
• 3D Imaging

Background:

• Petrous bone lesions present significant surgical challenges requiring detailed 3D anatomical understanding.
• Microsurgical dissections and patient-specific imaging are crucial for acquiring this knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a virtual reality (VR)-based surgical simulator for improved 3D understanding of skull base anatomy.
• To utilize transpetrosal approaches as a proof-of-concept for tumor resections using simulated tumor renderings.

Main Methods:

• A body donor head underwent stepwise microsurgical dissection and rotational angiography.
• Photogrammetric 3D models of dissections and 3D angiographic renderings were created and automatically stacked.
• The fused 3D data were imported into a VR environment with simulated tumors for visualization.

Main Results:

• Twenty 3D models were stacked in VR, simulating transpetrosal and jugular foramen approaches with correlated 3D angiographic data.
• The VR environment allowed stepwise visualization of surgical stages and anatomical correlations.
• Simulated tumors effectively mimicked pathological anatomy and tumor propagation.

Conclusions:

• Automatic alignment of 3D models and diagnostic imaging in VR effectively illustrates complex surgical steps.
• The developed algorithm offers a semi-automated workflow for creating surgical simulators.
• This VR-based approach enhances 3D understanding crucial for complex surgical procedures.