VR surgical training platform expands after use at Newcastle Hospital

The technology is being used to prepare surgeons for difficult procedures. Naeem Soomro, director of robotic surgery at Newcastle Hospital, said: “Newcastle Hospital has the widest adoption of robotic and minimally invasive surgery in the UK. At Newcastle Surgical Training Centre, we deliver around 300 surgical courses each year and believe that VR/AR along with realistic simulation will become a significant component of surgical training in the future and are very pleased to partner with Osso VR.” According to a report from the Royal College of Surgeons, surgical trainees were focused more on service tasks, such as administrative work, instead of participating in patient care. Additionally, changing dynamics within training have resulted in less hands-on experiences moving them to later in the training process. Osso VR has seen success across the U.S. in residency programs looking to increase access to hands-on training and assessment opportunities for surgical trainees. The company has attracted orthopaedic medical device companies to use the platform to improve training, encourage safe use, and increase adoption of their devices. In scientifically validating the platform, preliminary study results have shown the Osso VR-trained group performed 230 percent better than the control group, trained traditionally, as measured by the Global Rating Scale.