Ergonomic effects of medical augmented reality glasses in video-assisted surgery

A decade of progress: bringing mixed reality image-guided surgery systems in the operating room

Advancements in mixed reality (MR) have led to innovative approaches in image-guided surgery (IGS). In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of MR in image-guided procedures across various surgical domains. Using the Data Visualization View (DVV) Taxonomy, we analyze the progress made since a 2013 literature review paper on MR IGS systems. In addition to examining the current surgical domains using MR systems, we explore trends in types of MR hardware used, type of data visualized, visualizations of virtual elements, and interaction methods in use. Our analysis also covers the metrics used to evaluate these systems in the operating room (OR), both qualitative and quantitative assessments, and clinical studies that have demonstrated the potential of MR technologies to enhance surgical workflows and outcomes. We also address current challenges and future directions that would further establish the use of MR in IGS.

Safety and Optimizing Ergonomics for Cardiothoracic Surgeons

Cardiothoracic surgery, demanding in nature, often results in surgeons suffering from musculoskeletal injuries, causing chronic pain and leading to premature retirement. A significant majority report experiencing pain, exacerbated by minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Despite this, many surgeons delay seeking medical assistance. To mitigate these risks, preventative strategies such as strength exercises, stretching during operations, and taking brief breaks are crucial. However, the surgical community faces a shortage of institutional support and comprehensive ergonomic education. Advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality, could offer future solutions.

Innovations in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review of Current Integrative Technologies

Neurosurgical technologies have become increasingly more adaptive, featuring real-time and patient-specific guidance in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings. This review offers insight into how these integrative innovations compare with conventional approaches in spine surgery, focusing on machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, and spinal navigation systems. Data on technology applications, diagnostic and procedural accuracy, intraoperative times, radiation exposures, postoperative outcomes, and costs were extracted and compared with conventional methods to assess their advantages and limitations. Preoperatively, augmented reality and virtual reality have applications in surgical training and planning that are more immersive, case specific, and risk-free and have been shown to enhance accuracy and reduce complications. ML algorithms have demonstrated high accuracy in predicting surgical candidacy (up to 92.1%) and tailoring personalized treatments based on patient-specific variables. Intraoperatively, advantages include more accurate pedicle screw insertion (96%-99% with ML), enhanced visualization, reduced radiation exposure (49 μSv with O-arm navigation vs. 556 μSv with fluoroscopy), increased efficiency, and potential for fewer intraoperative complications compared with conventional approaches. Postoperatively, certain ML and artificial intelligence models have outperformed conventional methods in predicting all postoperative complications of >6000 patients as well as predicting variables contributing to in-hospital and 90-day mortality. However, applying these technologies comes with limitations, such as longer operative times (up to 35.6% longer) with navigation, dependency on datasets, costs, accessibility, steep learning curve, and inherent software malfunctions. As these technologies advance, continuing to assess their efficacy and limitations will be crucial to their successful integration within spine surgery.

[Modern individualized diagnostics and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer]

Approximately one half of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are diagnosed at resectable tumor stages (I-IIIA), which can potentially be curatively treated. In the early tumor stages (tumor diameter ≤2 cm) sublobar resection (segmentectomy or atypical wedge resection) leads to a 5‑year long-term survival comparable to lobectomy. The use of immunotherapy, especially within the framework of neoadjuvant treatment, is anticipated to change the surgical treatment of NSCLC in the future. With the introduction of lung cancer screening for certain risk groups in Germany planned for 2024, lung tumors can be expected to be diagnosed at earlier stages and more frequently curatively treated. This article provides an overview of the potential impact of lung cancer screening, modern minimally invasive surgical techniques and neoadjuvant treatment concepts for the surgical treatment of NSCLC.

Advances in objective assessment of ergonomics in endoscopic surgery: a review

Background

Minimally invasive surgery, in particular endoscopic surgery, has revolutionized the benefits for patients, but poses greater challenges for surgeons in terms of ergonomics. Integrating ergonomic assessments and interventions into the multi-stage endoscopic procedure contributes to the surgeon's musculoskeletal health and the patient's intraoperative safety and postoperative recovery.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to overview the objective assessment techniques, tools and assessment settings involved in endoscopic procedures over the past decade and to identify the potential factors that induce differences in high workloads in endoscopic procedures and ultimately to design a framework for ergonomic assessment in endoscopic surgery.

Methods

Literature searches were systematically conducted in the OVID, pubmed and web of science database before October 2022, and studies evaluating ergonomics during the process of endoscopic procedures or simulated procedures were both recognized.

Results

Our systematic review of 56 studies underscores ergonomic variations in endoscopic surgery. While endoscopic procedures, predominantly laparoscopy, typically incur less physical load than open surgery, extended surgical durations notably elevate ergonomic risks. Surgeon characteristics, such as experience level and gender, significantly influence these risks, with less experienced and female surgeons facing greater challenges. Key assessment tools employed include electromyography for muscle fatigue and motion analysis for postural evaluation.

Conclusion

This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis and framework of objective ergonomic assessments in endoscopic surgery, and suggesting avenues for future research and intervention strategies. By improving the ergonomic conditions for surgeons, we can enhance their overall health, mitigate the risk of WMSDs, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

The value of Augmented Reality in surgery - A usability study on laparoscopic liver surgery

Augmented Reality (AR) is considered to be a promising technology for the guidance of laparoscopic liver surgery. By overlaying pre-operative 3D information of the liver and internal blood vessels on the laparoscopic view, surgeons can better understand the location of critical structures. In an effort to enable AR, several authors have focused on the development of methods to obtain an accurate alignment between the laparoscopic video image and the pre-operative 3D data of the liver, without assessing the benefit that the resulting overlay can provide during surgery. In this paper, we present a study that aims to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the value of an AR overlay in laparoscopic surgery during a simulated surgical task on a phantom setup. We design a study where participants are asked to physically localise pre-operative tumours in a liver phantom using three image guidance conditions - a baseline condition without any image guidance, a condition where the 3D surfaces of the liver are aligned to the video and displayed on a black background, and a condition where video see-through AR is displayed on the laparoscopic video. Using data collected from a cohort of 24 participants which include 12 surgeons, we observe that compared to the baseline, AR decreases the median localisation error of surgeons on non-peripheral targets from 25.8 mm to 9.2 mm. Using subjective feedback, we also identify that AR introduces usability improvements in the surgical task and increases the perceived confidence of the users. Between the two tested displays, the majority of participants preferred to use the AR overlay instead of navigated view of the 3D surfaces on a separate screen. We conclude that AR has the potential to improve performance and decision making in laparoscopic surgery, and that improvements in overlay alignment accuracy and depth perception should be pursued in the future.

Alterations in Physical Demands During Virtual/Augmented Reality-Based Tasks: A Systematic Review

The digital world has recently experienced a swift rise in worldwide popularity due to Virtual (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices. However, concrete evidence about the effects of VR/AR devices on the physical workload imposed on the human body is lacking. We reviewed 27 articles that evaluated the physical impact of VR/AR-based tasks on the users using biomechanical sensing equipment and subjective tools. Findings revealed that movement and muscle demands (neck and shoulder) varied in seven and five studies while using VR, while in four and three studies during AR use, respectively, compared to traditional methods. User discomfort was also found in seven VR and three AR studies. Outcomes indicate that interface and interaction design, precisely target locations (gestures, viewing), design of virtual elements, and device type (location of CG as in Head-Mounted Displays) influence these alterations in neck and shoulder regions. Recommendations based on the review include developing comfortable reach envelopes for gestures, improving wearability, and studying temporal effects of repetitive movements (such as effects on fatigue and stability). Finally, a guideline is provided to assist researchers in conducting effective evaluations. The presented findings from this review could benefit designers/evaluations working towards developing more effective VR/AR products.

Growing pains: strategies for improving ergonomics in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To evaluate factors contributing to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and review strategies for mitigating ergonomic strain in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Factors associated with increased ergonomic strain and the development of WMSDs include increasing patient body mass index (BMI), smaller surgeon hand size, noninclusive design of instruments and energy devices and improper positioning of surgical equipment. Each type of minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic, vaginal) confers its own ergonomic risk to the surgeon. Recommendations have been published regarding optimal ergonomic surgeon and equipment positioning. Intraoperative breaks and stretching are effective in reducing surgeon discomfort. Formal training in ergonomics has not yet been widely implemented, but educational interventions have been effective in reducing surgeon discomfort and can improve surgeon recognition of suboptimal ergonomics.

SUMMARY

Considering the serious downstream effects of WMSDs on surgeons, it is imperative to implement strategies for WMSD prevention. Optimal positioning of the surgeons and operative equipment should be routine. Intraoperative breaks and stretching should be incorporated during procedures and between every case. Formal education in ergonomics should be provided to surgeons and trainees. Additionally, more inclusive instrument design by industry partners should be prioritized.

The Impact of a Robotic Digital Microscope on the Ergonomics in a Neurosurgical Operating Theatre (A Single-Centre Experience)

Ergonomics is an emerging concept in the neurosurgical operating theatre, where neurosurgeons work under great concentration and frequently neglect their uncomfortable body posture. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are becoming a widespread burden in the neurosurgical community. WMSD have a negative impact on surgical performance and decrease the surgeons' quality of life. Here we present our single-centre 2-month experience with the Aesculap AEOS® Robotic Digital Microscope (RDM) and prospectively calculate the REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) scores and compare them with similar neurosurgical cases operated with a conventional operative microscope (OPMI).Materials and Methods: For a period of 2 months at the Department of Neurosurgery of the University Hospital Pirogov, Sofia, Bulgaria, 41 consecutive patients were operated on using RDM. The REBA employee assessment worksheets were filled in prospectively to assess the ergonomics of the senior author (N.G.) while using the RDM and the OPMI.Results and Conclusion: The ergonomics during neurosurgical operations could be substantially improved with the implementation of the exoscope. For challenging cranial approaches, where the operator must frequently "look around corners" the exoscope has a major advantage compared with the OPMI-the REBA score is 2.6 times lower for the exoscope and reaches a low risk for WMSD. For spinal operations, the neck score as part of the REBA score is three times lower for the exoscope.

Artificial intelligence assisted display in thoracic surgery: development and possibilities

In this golden age of rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), researchers and surgeons realized that AI could contribute to healthcare in all aspects, especially in surgery. The popularity of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) and the improvement of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) not only bring opportunities for thoracic surgery but also bring challenges on the way forward. Preoperatively localizing lung nodules precisely, intraoperatively identifying anatomical structures accurately, and avoiding complications requires a visual display of individuals’ specific anatomy for surgical simulation and assistance. With the advance of AI-assisted display technologies, including 3D reconstruction/3D printing, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), computer tomography (CT) imaging in thoracic surgery has been fully utilized for transforming 2D images to 3D model, which facilitates surgical teaching, planning, and simulation. AI-assisted display based on surgical videos is a new surgical application, which is still in its infancy. Notably, it has potential applications in thoracic surgery education, surgical quality evaluation, intraoperative assistance, and postoperative analysis. In this review, we illustrated the current AI-assisted display applications based on CT in thoracic surgery; focused on the emerging AI applications in thoracic surgery based on surgical videos by reviewing its relevant researches in other surgical fields and anticipate its potential development in thoracic surgery.

Emerging technologies for management of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: from telehealth to assistive robotics and neural interfaces

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease, is characterized by the degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons, which leads to muscle weakness and subsequently paralysis. It begins subtly with focal weakness but spreads relentlessly to involve most muscles, thus proving to be effectively incurable. Typically, death due to respiratory paralysis occurs in 3–5 years. To date, it has been shown that the management of ALS patients is best achieved with a multidisciplinary approach, and with the help of emerging technologies ranging from multidisciplinary teleconsults (for monitoring the dysphagia, respiratory function, and nutritional status) to brain-computer interfaces and eye tracking for alternative augmentative communication, until robotics, it may increase effectiveness. The COVID-19 pandemic created a spasmodic need to accelerate the development and implementation of such technologies in clinical practice, to improve the daily lives of both ALS patients and caregivers. However, despite the remarkable strides that have been made in the field, there are still issues to be addressed. This review will be discussed on the eureka moment of emerging technologies for ALS, used as a blueprint not only for neurodegenerative diseases, examining the current technologies already in place or being evaluated, highlighting the pros and cons for future clinical applications.