5 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8
Rafael Grossmann, MD, per-
formed the world's first sur-
gery using Google Glass way
back in 2013, eons ago on
the technological timeline.
"That day, the simple
notion of streaming a proce-
dure live from my own per-
spective was earth-shatter-
ing," says Dr. Grossmann.
"Now, nearly 5 years later,
current capabilities make
that feat seem rather pedestrian."
Shafi Ahmed, MD, cofounder of the virtual and augmented reality
surgical company Medical Realities, live-streamed the world's first
virtual reality surgery in 2016. A 360° camera suspended over the OR
table projected the colorectal cancer procedure to 55,000 viewers
worldwide. Viewers watched through their own headsets and navigat-
ed the room in virtual space and real time alongside the surgeons
who were operating live. The audience was massive, yet each partici-
pant fit comfortably in the virtual space. No classic OR can offer that
kind of vantage point or experience to so many.
Dr. Grossmann's viewers saw his experience; Dr. Ahmed's moved
through and with it. "The connective capabilities were vastly more
streamlined than they were just 3 years prior," says Dr.
Grossmann. "What we're seeing now is the beginning of a break-
through in surgical practice, training and communication."
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• BROADCAST NETWORK Shafi Ahmed, MD, performed the world's first
virtual reality surgery and shared the experience with 55,000 viewers.
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