LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rambam Healthcare Medical Center will be the first medical center in Israel to use Virtual and Augmented Reality to plan and perform surgeries in Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery, using the technology of the Israeli-American company, Surgical Theater. This XR platform will serve the specialists at the departments of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery, allowing them to plan surgeries and navigate via 3D technology, instead of relying on two-dimensional CT and MRI scans.

The Surgical Theater platform processes two-dimensional imaging scans of the patient, such as CT and MRI, and builds a realistic 3D-360°reconstruction, which, together with augmented reality goggles, the surgeon can "fly" inside the brain of a patient, comprehend their anatomical structure and plan a surgical approach prior to surgery. Presurgical planning, especially during complex procedures, provides the surgeon with the ability to plan the most optimal approach, helping to prevent damage to critical clinical and vascular structures.

The same patient specific model that is built during planning is also used in the operating room for enhanced visualization. The surgeon is able to superimpose in real time, an augmented reality overlay onto the live surgical site with the use of the Medtronic StealthStation S8 a and surgical microscope.
Professor Gill Sveri, head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Rambam Medical Center says, "I am happy and proud that we are the first hospital in Israel to use virtual reality and augmented reality in performing neurosurgery. It is revolutionizing the operating room. Through this platform, we can plan access to the brain during surgery in a clear and tangible way, via a 3D-360°view. This is in comparison to our ability today, using CT or MRI scans that only give us a 2-dimensional picture alone. This platform has simulator features that allow advanced planning of a surgical procedure. Additionally, the plan assists during surgery and provides a 3-dimensional picture of the brain and the brain tumor during surgery, while simultaneously enabling augmented reality visualization through microscope lenses and navigation within the head of the patient."

Professor Sviri adds, "The Surgical Theater platform will also assist young physicians who have not yet performed many surgeries and will allow them to practice and plan surgeries at far greater efficiency, through better understanding of brain anatomy. Learning through simulation is a very important component in training and practice for surgeons."

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