A German doctor has performed liver surgery with the assistance of an augmented reality app running on an iPad. This marks the first time such a surgery has been performed in this manner.
Using an iPad, surgeons in Bremen, Germany, were able to create a virtual 3D pre-op plan for one patient’s procedure, reports Reuters. [Warning: Some graphic images.] The surgeons took a picture of the patient’s liver with the iPad’s camera. The app then constructs an augmented reality overlay of the liver, showing the physicians where essential structures such as tumors and blood vessels lie.
The augmented reality layer was built from scans of organs taken prior to the surgery. The availability of the actual layout of the organs allowed surgeons to avoid potential complications and aided in the efficiency of the operation.
The team behind the app believes it could also aid in removing tumors from the pancreas and other organs.
The iPad has long been a popular choice among physicians, as they find numerous ways to integrate them into their daily practices.
