VR surgery training: Surgeons enhance their learning curves with virtual reality

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• March 3, 2022

Insight summary

Virtual reality (VR) is making waves in the medical field, particularly in surgical training. By leveraging VR technology, surgical procedures are becoming more efficient and safer. However, this progress brings about various implications, including the potential for better quality medical education, transformations in surgical planning, and shifts in the healthcare market.

VR surgery training context

Virtual reality (VR) technology, exemplified by products like the Oculus Rift, has begun to redefine the landscape of medical training. These VR systems use vivid simulations of surgical procedures, digital replicas of medical devices, and tissue simulation mechanisms to create a more efficient and immersive training experience. This approach mimics real-life surgical situations, offering an innovative way to prepare medical professionals for the complexities of their roles.

Advancements in technology, such as the rise of 5G, have made significant contributions to the field. By reducing latency between devices to just two milliseconds, 5G improves image quality and allows for the possibility of conducting surgeries remotely. An example of this occurred in 2019, when Chinese doctors used a VR system and a 5G video link to perform a complex neurosurgery on a Parkinson's patient from a location 1,900 miles away.

The introduction of practical visualization tools is also reshaping the learning experiences of surgical residents and clinicians. This technology not only provides a safe environment for repeated practice but also enables doctors to explore different strategies for a particular surgery without putting patients at risk.

Disruptive impact

As AI/VR continue to evolve and improve, they are becoming indispensable tools in medical schools and healthcare systems worldwide. This development facilitates more efficient training for medical students and surgical residents, accelerating their learning and proficiency. The effect could be an increase in the number of competent surgeons, a crucial factor in managing staffing pressures in hospitals—a concern made more apparent in light of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

From a global perspective, the regions that stand to benefit most from this development are those with a shortage of medical expertise or lacking fully functional healthcare systems. By adopting remote surgical training and procedures, these regions can improve their healthcare delivery and outcomes. However, a major challenge is that many of these areas lack the necessary 5G infrastructure to fully utilize VR surgical tools. As such, widespread adoption may not be feasible until later in the decade or possibly even the mid-2030s.

Despite this, the ripple effect of VR in surgical training goes beyond immediate healthcare applications. Its influence could extend to other sectors as well, fostering cross-industry collaborations and innovations. For instance, telecommunications providers, tech companies, and educational institutions might collaborate to improve infrastructure, develop new VR technologies, and design more comprehensive training programs.

Implications of VR surgery training

Wider implications of VR surgery training may include:

• The democratization of medical education, as VR training can bypass geographical and infrastructural limitations.


• A transformation in surgical planning and performance, opening new possibilities for hospital and clinic layouts.


• An expanded market for private healthcare centers and networks, as they can broaden their services both locally and globally.


• An increase in the number of qualified surgeons due to more efficient training methods.


• A potential decrease in surgical errors and patient risks as doctors gain more realistic training experiences.


• A potential boost in remote healthcare services due to advances in VR and 5G technology.


• Changes in the education curriculum of medical students to include VR training.


• Potential for more collaborative global healthcare efforts, with experts able to assist or guide procedures from afar.

Questions to consider

• How else might medical education evolve through the application of increasingly sophisticated VR training tools?


• Does the provision of VR surgery training make medical education more accessible to under-resourced areas?