BACKGROUND
Mixed reality and its potential applications have gained increasing interest within the medical community over the recent years. The ability to integrate virtual objects into a real-world environment within a single video-see-through display is a topic that sparks imagination. Given these characteristics, mixed reality could facilitate preoperative and pre-interventional planning, provide intraoperative and intra-interventional guidance, and could aid in education and training, thereby improving the skill and merit of surgeons and residents alike.
OBJECTIVE
In this narrative review, we provide a broad overview of the different applications of mixed reality within the entire spectrum of surgical and interventional practice and elucidate on potential future directions.
METHODS
A targeted literature search within the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases was performed regarding the application of MR within surgical and interventional practice. Studies were included if they met the criteria for technological readiness level 5 and as such had to be validated in a relevant environment.
RESULTS
A total of 59 studies were included and divided into studies regarding Preoperative and Interventional Planning, Intraoperative and Interventional Guidance and Training and Education.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall experience with mixed reality is positive. Main benefits of MR seem to be related to improved efficiency. Limitations primarily seem related to constraints associated with head-mounted display. Future directions should be aimed at improving head-mounted display technology, incorporation of mixed reality within surgical microscopes and robot and design of trials to prove superiority.
CLINICALTRIAL
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