Over the past decade VR has been hailed as ‘cutting edge’ and as ‘must-have’ technology for every medical simulation center. Laparoscopy simulators costing millions promised incredible results in training surgeons with realistic procedures, haptic feedback and realistic 3D models. Many simulation centers and hospitals around the world ordered these devices only to find that their training capabilities are quite limited and impractical when used in the long-term with students. 15 years forward, laparoscopic surgeons agree on the immense drawbacks of such solutions - they are simply inadequate for testing and for preparing larger numbers of young surgeons for the OR. Their capabilities are limited in size and scope and they lack the technical support and active development of exercises and programs.
For the price of a single VR simulator one could equip an entire medical simulation center with diverse laparoscopy trainers and training solutions of all levels. On the other hand, basic low-price laparoscopy trainers can also be limited in capabilities. Students can develop practical skills and they can gain an adequate understanding of the forces and physical properties on these low-fidelity devices, but that can only go so far. Such trainers cannot realistically simulate complete procedures such as appendectomies and cholecystectomies. They don’t feature analytical or scoring capabilities and most importantly - they can’t teach much without the direct supervision of qualified laparoscopic surgeons.
