A surgical team at a UK hospital used Apple’s Vision Pro headset to help execute a medical procedure.
The team used the mixed-reality headset to assist in two microsurgical spine procedures at Cromwell Hospital in London, hospital owner Bupa told Business Insider.
Surgeons Fady Sedra and Syed Aftab were part of the team, but it was a scrub nurse who donned the headset to help assist them, The Daily Mail reported.
The hospital was introduced to the device by eXeX, which provides tech platforms to hospitals.
Aftab, a consultant orthopedic spinal surgeon, said, “Working with eXeX to use the Apple Vision Pro has made a huge difference to the way we deliver care to our patients. The software is seamless and has improved efficiency within the Complex Spine team.”
Following the release of Apple’s Vision Pro device in the US last month, a range of healthcare apps compatible with the headset have become available, as detailed in a press release from Apple.
Among these, Stryker’s Mako SmartRobotics developed an app tailored for surgeons conducting hip and knee replacements.
Meanwhile, Fundamental Surgery offers surgical training through virtual reality and Cedars-Sinai provides an app for patients offering mental health support through meditation and deep breathing exercises.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations, said in the press release: “We’re thrilled to see the incredible apps that developers across the healthcare community are bringing to Apple Vision Pro.”
Meta’s virtual reality headset has also been used to practice surgeries before operations, CNBC reported. Doctors at Kettering Health Dayton in Ohio used the Quest 2 headset in a 3D simulation of a shoulder replacement in a mock procedure in 2022, CNBC reported.
According to hospital operator Universal Health Services, VR devices can help surgeons to examine a patient’s anatomy before a procedure, “much like a pilot uses a flight simulator.”
