Friday 28 December 2012

Would-be surgeons to train in a virtual world




Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee National Hospital has recently launched a virtual 3D surgical programme to help train future surgeons.

The first of its kind in Scotland, the interactive programme will allow medical students to learn and practice surgical techniques without the need to work on dummies or cadavers. They will be able to practice repeatedly and to proceed at their own pace. 
 
Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee National Hospital
 

Currently, the programme is being employed to teach knee anatomy and regional anaesthesia in Golden Jubilee’s Enhanced Recovery Programme.Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being Alex Neill attended the programme’s launch to get a first-hand view of the new system. He described it as an exciting development that demonstrated how new technology could be used for the benefit of patients in Scotland.

The man behind the project is Dr Robert Robi Zimmer. Dr Zimmer is a consultant anaesthetist with the Golden Jubilee’s orthopaedic service and is also a software development consultant. He acknowledges that the 3D training programme is in its early stages but believes that it has great potential and will benefit patients throughout Scotland.
 
Dr Zimmer hopes that the programme will help improve understanding of the anatomy and that at some stage it will move beyond the classroom and be used as a tool for helping patients to better understand their condition and treatment.

The Golden National Jubilee Hospital is already renowned for its use of computer assisted orthopaedic surgery and the development of this new virtual 3D training technique will surely enhance its already considerable reputation.

A Functional Virtual Reality Endoscopic Surgery Trainer


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