Innovative podiatry practice: an immersive VR surgery simulation with bimanual haptic interaction.

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Training Technologies
• Virtual Reality in Medicine

Background:

• Ingrown toenail removal surgery requires specialized skills.
• Existing surgical simulation tools lack immersive and kinesthetic feedback.
• Virtual reality (VR) and haptic technologies offer innovative learning solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an immersive VR force feedback system for simulating ingrown toenail removal.
• To create a novel learning material integrating visual and kinesthetic sensory input.
• To address limitations of current surgical simulation methods.

Main Methods:

• A bimanual haptic feedback system was designed and expert-tuned.
• Users interact with a 3D deformable virtual foot using surgical tools.
• Graphic and haptic rendering techniques simulate surgical steps.

Main Results:

• 37 participants (medical and non-medical students) tested the system.
• Medical students improved surgical task completion time by over 160%.
• Significant skill differences between medical and non-medical students were observed.

Conclusions:

• The VR system shows preliminary usability and effectiveness for surgical skill development.
• Further assessment is needed before a comparative learning impact study.
• The system offers a promising avenue for enhancing ingrown toenail removal skills.