British surgeons live-stream operation with 360-degree cameras
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Photo courtesy Medical Realities/Facebook)
Surgeons at the Royal London Hospital became the first to live-stream a 360-degree video of a medical operation, which began at 1 p.m. BST on Thursday. The routine procedure, led by Barts Health NHS Trust cancer surgeon Shafi Ahmed, involved removing cancerous tissue from a male patient’s bowel.
While the general public may take interest in the video for entertainment, Ahmed told the Guardian that filming such surgeries could offer a practical means for training medical students.
“It is actually quite cost effective,” Ahmed told the Guardian.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The virtual reality-inspired surgery was shot with two 360-degree cameras and multiple lenses in the operating room. The public could watch the live-stream of the surgery online, but aspiring surgeons using the footage for training could also view it through the “VR in OR” app with a virtual reality headset paired with a smartphone, according to the Guardian.
This technology toolkit, Ahmed said, has the potential to replace in-person training for students who live remotely.
“There will be noise, there will be the immersive factor— so that will add different layers of educational value,” he told the Guardian.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ars Technica reported surgeons used Mativision cameras, which are usually used in live concerts. Barts Health NHS Trush and Mativision collaborated with Medical Realities, a venture founded by Ahmed. The company aims to use virtual reality to solve global health issues.
The surgery was expected to last two to three hours, and the patient, a 70-year-old male British man who was unnamed, reportedly consented to his operation being filmed.