Augmented Reality with HoloLens in Parotid Tumor Surgery: A prospective feasibility study

Objective Augmented Reality (AR) is an innovative way to improve planning and execution of complex surgical procedures. Head-mounted devices (HMD) such as the HoloLens from Microsoft seem to be particularly suitable to achieve these aims. The HoloLens is controlled by hand gestures. This enables contactless handling in a sterile environment. Unlike other surgical fields, so far, these systems have not found their way into head and neck surgery. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of this HMD in parotid tumor surgery.

Material and Methods D holograms of MRI images were created and made virtually visible via the HoloLens. 3D Holograms were reconstructed from MRI DICOM files. 3D hologram and surgical field were aligned manually. All gestures were tested in a sterile environment in close proximity to the surgical field.

Results Wearing the HMD was feasible, even with normal glasses. All gestures were recognized correctly and executed successfully. 2D and 3D holograms were visible in the operating room, but only at high levels of brightness. It was possible to superimpose the position of the hologram into the surgical field and use the virtual image as a navigation-like tool. MRI slices could be viewed without turning from the surgical filed.

Conclusions This study offers a proof of concept of the clinical feasibility of the HoloLens for parotid tumor surgery. Our study demonstrates that this technical innovation positively influences workflow and surgical effectiveness and provides additional information. Decision making is improved by virtual surgical planning. The surgical performance becomes more accurate through the navigation-like application of reality-fused 3D holograms. In addition, it improves ergonomics without compromising sterility.

Poster-PDF A-1387.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020