The era of artificial intelligence and virtual reality: transforming surgical education in ophthalmology.

Journal: The British journal of ophthalmology
Published Date:

Abstract

Training the modern ophthalmic surgeon is a challenging process. Microsurgical education can benefit from innovative methods to practice surgery in low-risk simulations, assess and refine skills in the operating room through video content analytics, and learn at a distance from experienced surgeons. Developments in emerging technologies may allow us to pursue novel forms of instruction and build on current educational models. Artificial intelligence, which has already seen numerous applications in ophthalmology, may be used to facilitate surgical tracking and evaluation. Within immersive technology, growth in the space of virtual reality head-mounted displays has created intriguing possibilities for operating room simulation and observation. Here, we explore the applications of these technologies and comment on their future in ophthalmic surgical education.

Authors

  • Shaunak K Bakshi
    Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
  • Shawn R Lin
    a Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
  • Daniel Shu Wei Ting
    Singapore National Eye Center, Singapore Eye Research Institute Singapore Health Service Singapore Singapore.
  • Michael F Chiang
    National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
  • James Chodosh
    Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Howe Laboratory Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.