The Development of Augmented Reality to Enhance Minimally Invasive Surgery.

ABSTRACT

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) reduces unnecessary tissue damage to the patient but obscures the natural surgical interface that is provided by open surgical procedures. Multiple feedback mechanisms, mainly visual and tactile, are greatly reduced in MIS. Microscopes, endoscopes, and image-guided navigation traditionally provide enough visual information for successful minimally invasive procedures, although the limited feedback makes these procedures more difficult to learn. Research has been performed to develop alternative solutions that regain additional feedback. Augmented reality (AR), a more recent guidance innovation that overlays digital visual data physically, has begun to be implemented in various applications to improve the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive procedures. This review focuses on the recent implementation of augmented display and direct visual overlay and discusses how these innovations address common feedback concerns associated with minimally invasive surgeries.