Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Pioneering Patient-Specific Approaches for Precision Surgery Using Imaging and Virtual Reality
Published on: April 5, 2024
[Digital Twins in Surgery]
Alexandra Scheibert1, Marco Horn1, Tobias Keck1
1Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Klinik für Chirurgie, SH, Deutschland, Lübeck.
Purpose:
The digital twin describes the virtual, dynamic representation of a real system that is updated through continuous data exchange with its physical counterpart. Although originally established in industrial applications, the concept is also becoming increasingly important in surgery.
Material And Methods:
Digital twins integrate multimodal patient data - including imaging data, physiological measurements, and intraoperative sensor data - into patient-specific models. These can be used in preoperative planning, intraoperative decision support, and postoperative follow-up.
Results:
Initial applications, particularly in oncological and vascular surgery, show great potential for improving surgical precision and reducing complications. In addition, digital twins open up new possibilities in surgical training and telesurgery.
Conclusion:
Despite promising approaches, digital twins in surgery are still largely in the early stages of development. Challenges exist in particular in data quality, model validation, and ethical and legal issues. Overall, digital twins have the potential to change surgical processes in the long term.
