What if medical providers and surgeons could cut the number of surgical errors in half? Most people would agree that doing so would be a helpful step toward better patient safety.
A recently published study has shown that new and aspiring surgeons can benefit from using virtual reality as a method of teaching.
The study, which had 25 participants, randomly grouped the surgeons into three different groups: a technique guide control group, virtual reality group and a virtual reality and technique guide group. The participants in the virtual reality groups completed VR simulations of operations during three different sessions between three and four days apart. After 10 to 14 days, everyone in the study attempted to insert an intramedullary nail into a model tibia.
The study found that those who went through virtual reality preparation had a higher rate of completion and accuracy. Surgical completion increased from just 25% to up to 78% with the use of virtual reality training.
Surgical errors can happen for many reasons, but a lack of training lack of familiarity with an operation can increase the risk of a surgery being completed improperly. Studies like this show that advancing technology could support surgeons and help them reduce the errors that they make when working with real patients.
Unfortunately, not all surgeons get this kind of support. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries because of surgical errors, then you may be able to pursue a legal claim against your surgeon for their mistakes. An experienced attorney can help you seek justice and compensation.
