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Les résidents en chirurgie commencent leur formation en réalité virtuelle

Article Summary

avril 6, 2019

In This Article:

Surgical Classroom
Communiqué de presse: Precision OS, basée à Vancouver, s'est associée à 10 universités et établissements médicaux nord-américains pour intégrer leur plate-forme de formation en chirurgie orthopédique en réalité virtuelle haute fidélité dans la salle de classe de chirurgie.

Precision OS envisions a future where surgeon trainees (residents) everywhere can receive the highest quality orthopedic training with real-time feedback, augmenting the cadaveric experience. To get there, they’re using the power of virtual reality technology.

La réalité virtuelle offre une immersion chirurgicale inégalée sans être gênée par les circonstances du monde réel et sans risque de nuire aux patients. La plate-forme Precision OS simule les expériences en salle d'opération, des outils virtuels utilisés à l'anatomie du patient. Ceci est renforcé par des commentaires métriques spécifiques à l'utilisateur pour permettre aux chirurgiens stagiaires d'atteindre des performances optimales grâce à une pratique répétée et à un apprentissage personnalisé.

“Virtual reality has the potential to positively impact and advance the way surgery residents are trained by offering more frequent and in-depth operating room experience. We are looking forward to exploring this technology and introducing the Precision OS platform to our residents and fellows.” Dr Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo, professeur au service de chirurgie orthopédique de la clinique Mayo

L'étendue et la profondeur de leurs modules de formation sont uniques au système Precision OS. Les résidents peuvent pratiquer une procédure dans une variété de conditions changeantes, pour s'assurer qu'ils sont préparés avec les compétences nécessaires pour gérer les complications potentielles en chirurgie réelle. Des conditions telles que l'arthrite et l'âge peuvent modifier la norme de procédure pour les chirurgies impliquant des implants. Bien qu'il ne soit pas garanti qu'un résident soit exposé à de telles expériences chirurgicales dans le cadre d'un programme de formation traditionnel, c'est le cas avec la RV.

La plate-forme Precision OS VR offre aux chirurgiens stagiaires la possibilité d'acquérir plus d'expérience en salle d'opération qu'ils ne le feraient généralement dans une résidence médicale traditionnelle. Des complications mineures aux erreurs critiques, les résidents peuvent subir une intervention chirurgicale de près simplement en mettant un casque.

Plusieurs centaines de chirurgiens stagiaires dans 10 établissements médicaux aux États-Unis et au Canada pourront désormais faire l'expérience de cette technologie dans le cadre de leurs programmes de résidence. Precision OS sera utilisé pour la formation en chirurgie orthopédique à :

• The Mayo Clinic
• The University of British Columbia
• The Sunnybrook Hospital at the University of Toronto
• The Pan Am Clinic Foundation
• Western University
• McGill University
• Dalhousie University
• The Boston Shoulder Institute
• The University of Mississippi Medical Center.

L'équipe Precision OS collabore également avec le Dr John Costouros, MD FACS, chirurgien orthopédiste et professeur adjoint à l'Université de Stanford, pour tester la réalité virtuelle dans la formation des futurs chirurgiens diplômés.

Ce sera la première fois que cette qualité de technologie VR haute fidélité et immersive sera utilisée pour une formation chirurgicale aussi intensive.

“The next generation of surgeons will have to learn advanced skills and decision-making with limited time for their training. Virtual reality offers an impactful way to create value by improving surgical skill and reducing errors. Precision OS will deliver value to all stakeholders in healthcare: educators, industry, hospitals, insurers, and patients. The timing of such a technology could not be more perfect!” Dr Jon JP Warner, fondateur du Boston Shoulder Institute, de la New England Shoulder and Elbow Society, de la Codman Shoulder Society et ancien président de l'American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons

Precision OS offre un environnement d'apprentissage amélioré pour les stagiaires en orthopédie en augmentant l'accès à la pratique chirurgicale. À l'aide d'un casque et de capteurs portables, les résidents peuvent entrer dans la salle d'opération à tout moment et de n'importe où. Cela augmente le volume de pratique et améliore les résultats des compétences chirurgicales dans les scénarios basés sur des cas.

“VR training is the way of the future. It will enhance patient care by having a more skilled and well-prepared surgeon. The software and training unit of Precision OS is brilliantly put together and is a major advance for our residency and fellowship training program!” Dr Peter MacDonald, professeur et chef de la section d'orthopédie à l'Université du Manitoba

Et chaque fois qu'un résident commence un module de formation Precision OS, il est plongé dans une expérience chirurgicale réaliste. Le patient virtuel réagit aux réussites et aux erreurs d'une procédure, permettant ainsi aux stagiaires d'apprendre de leurs erreurs. Cet environnement simulé est une différence essentielle entre la RV et la formation chirurgicale traditionnelle, car les erreurs ne sont pas autorisées dans la chirurgie réelle pour éviter de nuire aux patients. Mais c'est précisément cette possibilité d'erreur qui exige une attention et une concentration accrues de la part des stagiaires et crée une expérience d'apprentissage chirurgical plus active, efficace et percutante. C'est ce qui rend Precision OS unique.

Pendant et après une procédure, les résidents reçoivent des mesures de performance détaillées afin qu'ils puissent évaluer leurs compétences chirurgicales en temps réel et identifier les domaines d'amélioration. Cette rétroaction immédiate facilite des améliorations tangibles des performances et augmente rapidement la précision chirurgicale.  

“Our core agenda has always been to combine surgical education and cognitive skill in a portable, efficient, and immersive learning experience.” Dr Danny Goel, PDG et co-fondateur de Precision OS, et chirurgien orthopédiste à l'Université de la Colombie-Britannique

Precision OS ouvre la voie à l'innovation dans la formation en chirurgie orthopédique et la communauté médicale internationale en prend note. L'année dernière, Precision OS a obtenu $2,3M de financement dirigé par AO Invest, la branche capital-risque de l'organisation suisse d'enseignement et de recherche orthopédiques, la Fondation AO.

La société a également été nominée pour les Technology Impact Awards et a été demi-finaliste à la Orthopaedic Research Society.

“This is only the beginning of what may be a complete disruption of how we learn and train surgeons. To be at the cutting edge of introducing this technology, with a focus on demonstrating its value, is a social responsibility for us at Precision OS. Virtual reality is an exciting and innovative area of technology that can influence surgeons and their patients around the world.” Dr Goel

Precision OS is a software company developing the most high-fidelity virtual reality platform for surgeons to practice specific procedures. Their focus on the critical elements of surgery haptics and metric feedback provides for an unparalleled educational experience. In addition, their pre-operative planning tool eliminates the trial and error associated with fracture care through an immersive interaction with the patients’ images. This, combined with their carefully selected team, provides the domain expertise one would expect to change the delivery of Orthopedic care globally. For more information, please visit https://www.precisionostech.com/.

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À propos de PrecisionOS

PrecisionOS is a leader in virtual reality-enabled surgical education. Trusted by top academic medical centers, health systems, and professional societies worldwide, the company delivers an immersive, scalable training ecosystem designed by surgeons for residents and the next generation of healthcare professionals. By combining high-fidelity VR cadaver labs with on-the-go access via the Approaches mobile module and AI-driven performance reporting, PrecisionOS ensures surgeons are ready for the OR, today.

Questions fréquemment posées

Is there a step-by-step "Quick Start" guide for residents?

Yes—The Onboarding Course is your fastest path to proficiency. It walks you through account syncing, procedure selection, and your first virtual rehearsal step-by-step, ensuring you are “OR Ready” before you pick up the controllers.

Action: Follow the guided video path to standardize your learning experience.

Yes. PrecisionOS is compatible with Meta Quest 3, and 3s. If you already own a headset, you simply need to download the PrecisionOS Launcher from the App Store and sign in with your institution email and membership credentials.

Action: Download the launcher and log in.

Your Individual Membership is a month-to-month subscription ($99/mo) designed for residents who want 24/7 access to surgical rehearsal without a long-term contract.  Reach out for information about an institutional membership.

Action: Your card is billed every 30 days from the date of signup.

Hospital networks will often require a MAC address for device white-listing. You can find this in your Meta Quest headset settings under About > MAC Address.

Action: Reach out to provide your IT department with the MAC address found in your headset settings.

Both the headset firmware and the PrecisionOS app must be up to date to prevent technical glitches. Go to Settings > Software Update on your Quest and check the Launcher for app updates.

Action: Enable “Auto-updates” in your headset settings.

About The Author

Image de Danny P. Goel, MD

Danny P. Goel, MD

Is the CEO of PrecisionOS and is a practicing surgeon and surgical educator. Dr. Goel currently practices in the Vancouver, B.C. area and also serves on the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

He received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba, pursued his residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Calgary, and completed fellowship training in shoulder surgery at the University of Western Ontario and Harvard University.

Goel has co-authored more than 30 publications, and is widely sought as a presenter on surgical techniques.

21 Months of Automated VR Data

MAJOR ACADEMIC ORTHOPAEDIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM

How self-directed VR practice fills the seams of the clinical day and produces measurable learning trajectories—completely automatically.

Executive Summary:

Over a 21-month period, 30 orthopaedic residents integrated immersive VR into their training curriculum. With a simple, weekly requirement for residents to practice in headset, the platform seamlessly captured over 88,000 structured data points across 2,566 practice sessions. The resulting data proved that when residents have access to high-fidelity, frictionless simulation and are motivated, they will hone their skills and demonstrate clear performance improvements.

Frictionless Adoption: Practice doesn't compete with clinical time. The data revealed that 45% of all sessions happened organically during lunch breaks or on weekends.

Comprehensive Coverage: Usage wasn't limited to a single subspecialty. Residents attempted 61 distinct cases across 27 procedure modules, proving active engagement from Foundations & Anatomy to Complex Trauma.

Measurable Improvement: The platform didn't just track usage; it tracked skill acquisition. Across 288 scored playthroughs, longitudinal data showed a clear performance signal, with residents demonstrating an average positive learning delta of +0.36 over time.

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Download the PrecisionOS mobile app to access Delphi’s insight reports and turn every VR session into a springboard for future success.

Step #1

State Your Intent

Tell Delphi, your AI Attending Mentor, what you are looking to practice.

Step #2

Get Practice Recommendations

Based on your request, Delphi will suggest personalized VR apps and Video training.

Step #3

Queue Apps In VR

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Step #4

Learn From Experts

Access the video library for expert-led Virtual Grand Rounds and discover surgical pearls from industry leaders and device experts.

Step #4

Practice With A Plan

Go through the recommended VR apps to gain the skills and repetition needed for success. 

Step #5

Review Performance Insights

After your VR session, review your personalized performance insight on your phone to maximine your OR success. 

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Dr. Andrew Maeso

Orthopedic resident

From Uncertainty to Execution

“You already have a plan, now you’re just executing it.”

The Story: Bridging the "Intern Gap"

Dr. Andrew Maeso recognizes the steep reality of residency: “As an intern, you are thrown into the fire.” For him, the hurdle wasn’t just the surgery—it was the invisible mechanics (positioning, X-ray angles, and workflow) that move too fast to learn in a high-pressure OR.

The Solution: Access Over Policy

By bringing the PrecisionOS ecosystem home, Dr. Maeso replaced passive YouTube watching with active mental rehearsal. This allowed him to arrive in the OR with the “steps” already hard-coded into his muscle memory.

The Game Changer: Personal headsets issued for at-home, 24/7 training.

Clinical Focus: Mastery of Antegrade Femoral Nails and Shoulder Arthroscopy.

Program Growth: Experience led to secured funding for all incoming residents.

Smiling man wearing glasses and checkered shirt in an office setting.

Roberto Oliveira

Founder

Over his 25 years in the gaming industry, Roberto Oliveira has been known for bringing stunning realism and high fidelity to interactive experiences.

He combines an art director’s artistic vision with solid business leadership, including experience in building art teams, creative team management, project planning, project management and business development.

Over the years, his talents have been showcased in projects for major publishers including Sony, Activision, Disney and Electronic Arts.

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Dr. Ryan Lohre

MGH Staff Surgeon

From Resident to MGH Staff Surgeon

“Prepare like it matters. Because in the OR—it does.”

The Story: The Currency of Trust

Dr. Ryan Lohre’s trajectory changed during a complex pediatric case that had already seen two failed attempts by tenured surgeons. While textbooks offered the theory, Dr. Lohre used VR to master the 3D spatial intelligence required to build a mental model of the deformity and navigate C-arm imagery in real-time.

The Solution: The 18-Minute Sandbox

The night before surgery, Dr. Lohre rehearsed the procedure four times in VR from his own home. This high-fidelity rehearsal allowed him to arrive in the OR functioning at 80-90% proficiency, compared to the typical 10-20% for a resident facing a new, complex procedure.

The Game Changer: 18 minutes of at-home VR prep for a complex pediatric case.

Clinical Focus: Spatial intelligence for C-arm interpretation and screw trajectory.

Program Growth: Transitioned from trainee to Staff Surgeon at Mass General.

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Dr. Barry McDonough

Program Director

Teaching with Surgical Efficiency

“I let the junior resident do more than ever before—and still finished on time.”

The Story: Reclaiming the OR

While at West Virginia University (WVU), Dr. Barry McDonough faced a universal challenge: balancing resident education with strict OR efficiency. By the time residents step into the OR, foundational skills like camera handling and triangulation should be second nature—not a distraction that slows down the case.

The Solution: Independent Preparation

Residents were assigned just 10 minutes of asynchronous VR training per week. This allowed them to master the “invisible” basics of arthroscopy on their own time. With an average of 17 sessions completed during the pilot, residents arrived with a mental roadmap that translated into immediate technical fluency.

The Game Changer: Asynchronous prep—residents train independently at home.

Clinical Focus: Mastery of triangulation, scope control, and anchor placement.

Program Growth: Model expanded across trauma, spine, and upper extremity.

Man in blue suit with glasses smiling in front of bookshelf.

Dr. Charlie Spieser

Orthopedic Resident

Mastering the Visuo-Spatial Gap

“VR practice shifts questioning from case generalizations to technique refinement.”

The Story: From Application to Confidence

Charlie Spieser highlights a universal resident hurdle: the high-stress transition from “book knowledge” to real-world execution. Early in training, the fear of making irreversible decisions can lead to hesitation. To bridge this gap, Charlie utilized VR as a daily resource for kinetic learning and anatomical association.

The Solution: Refining Spatial Intelligence

Unlike textbooks or passive videos, PrecisionOS allowed Charlie to practice high-stakes approaches—such as the anterior total hip—in a guided, 3D environment. This repetition provided a “safe sandbox” to identify why errors occurred, building the visuo-spatial confidence required to navigate complex anatomy before ever entering the OR.

The Game Changer: Daily Integration—normalized as an expected program resource.

Clinical Focus: Anterior Total Hip and Deltopectoral surgical approaches.

Program Growth: Nuanced Mentorship—shifting focus to specific faculty preferences.

Orthopaedic virtual reality training for junior residents in surgery.

Immersive Virtual Reality Training for a Junior Orthopaedic Surgery Resident

Andres D Maeso, DO, Michael R McDermott, DO, Jerrod A Steimle, DO

How consistent iVR training accelerates technical fluency and attending trust for first-year residents.

Executive Summary: This case study follows a first-year resident’s integration of immersive VR (iVR) into their surgical curriculum. By dedicating consistent training time to virtual modules, the resident was able to master procedural steps and receive real-time feedback in a risk-free environment before ever stepping into the operating room. The study highlights that this deliberate practice led to a “noticeable improvement in overall efficiency” and significantly increased the attending’s trust and confidence in the resident’s intraoperative capabilities.

Source Attribution: Immersive Virtual Reality Training for a Junior Orthopaedic Surgery Resident, Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation (2025).

Muscle Memory Development: The repetitive nature of immersive VR (iVR) training, combined with constant real-time feedback, allows technical surgical steps to become deep-seated muscle memory.

Measurable Efficiency Gains: Residents utilizing the platform observe a "noticeable improvement" in overall efficiency and technical proficiency when performing complex orthopedic procedures.

Accelerated Attending Trust: Preoperative rehearsal in a virtual environment significantly increases attending surgeon confidence, directly leading to increased autonomy for the resident in the operating room.

Professional man in business attire for PrecisionOS.

Danny P. Goel, MD

Chef de la direction

A practicing surgeon and surgical educator, Dr. Goel currently practices in the Vancouver, B.C. area and also serves on the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

He received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba, pursued his residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Calgary, and completed fellowship training in shoulder surgery at the University of Western Ontario and Harvard University.

Goel has co-authored more than 30 publications, and is widely sought as a presenter on surgical techniques.

Professional man smiling in a blue shirt for PrecisionOS About Us page.

Colin O'Connor

Founder

Colin O’Connor brings a proven track record as a business leader and entrepreneur, as well as expertise at developing cutting-edge technology to create immersive, high-fidelity experiences.

He has overseen and played key leadership roles in the highest echelons of the video game industry, founding companies and taking more than 16 top-tier titles to market.

He has worked at the forefront in innovating new rendering technologies in the areas of lighting, motion, particle graphics and shading that bring unprecedented realism to interactive experiences.

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