Medical application of virtual reality (VR)

The use of virtual reality or 3D visualization technology is not new. 3D models of patients' organs, for example, have been used since the 1990s. But advances in computers ensure that the images can be created much more realistically - and much faster.

X-ray images, CT, and MRI scans can now be converted into high-resolution 3D images within a minute, according to Sergio Agirre, CTO of EchoPixel. The visualization software of this company is used in hospitals worldwide. "Twenty years ago, such a thing might take a week."

Some surgical procedures, such as removing an appendix or performing a cesarean section, can be done quite routinely - one case is very similar to the other. But other, complicated procedures, think of separating Siamese twins, bring challenges that require precise planning. Especially for these challenging procedures, 3D visualization proves its enormous value.

Just recently, VR played a crucial role in successfully separating Siamese twins. At the Masonic Children's Hospital in Minneapolis (USA), there was a three-month-old twin that was fused together in a much more complicated way than others, with intricate connections between heart and liver. Operating and separating this twin was obviously very difficult and even dangerous for the twin.

VR technology is also used by vascular specialists. Using interactive 3D visualizations, surgeons can prepare well for procedures such as treating an aneurysm or blocked veins. One of the benefits is that they can already estimate in advance which measures and actions will yield the best results.

Where doctors use VR equipment, patients do too. They use headsets, for example, to immerse themselves in a virtual world that helps them focus on things other than medical problems and treatments.

Because anesthesia or numbing can carry risks for some patients, more and more hospitals are offering VR headsets to their patients to control pain during less severe procedures. At the moment this is still experimental but the results so far are positive.

In the same way, VR appears to help reduce anxiety in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Similarly in children, where it helps to reduce anxiety for shots or other treatments.

You look through the VR glasses and can virtually walk through the structure and therefore exactly see what you need have while performing the operation.

Patients with burns may benefit the most from VR technology. The daily cleaning and wrapping of burns or performing skin transplantation are some of the most painful procedures. Pain medication helps, but often not enough.

For these patients, the VR game "SnowWorld" has been developed. Dr. Hunter Hoffman, a scientist at the University of Washington with expertise in using VR for pain management, says: "This game contains images specifically designed to distract burn patients from their pain." People who play this game during treatment, according to research, have up to 50% less pain. Other research again shows changes in the brains of patients indicating that they experience less pain.

The VR game SnowWorld developed by Hoffman is currently being tested in four places in the United States and in two other countries. Although VR should not be seen as a replacement for pain management, the developers believe that medication and VR combined can be extremely effective. In the Netherlands too, experiments are being conducted with pain relief through VR. Medical organizations such as the Radboudumc and the burn center of the Martini Hospital use VR glasses and are researching the application of VR in pain management during endoscopic examinations and procedures. The first indications from this research suggest that indeed less sedation is needed in patients who use a VR headset.

Virtual reality also helps patients who struggle with balance and mobility issues as a result of a stroke or head injuries.

A new European consortium, led by the Sint Maartenskliniek, receives € 2.4 million for the development of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in rehabilitation trajectories. The Interreg North-West Europe program awarded the so-called VR4REHAB project for this purpose. This project will bring together companies, universities, and rehabilitation clinics over the next three years to develop and research VR applications that improve rehabilitation treatments and accelerate the recovery process.


Through VR, I can control what happens all around a patient and know what influence has on the patients' ability to change

Research shows that the use of VR in rehabilitation significantly speeds up the process. Patients regain their physical skills sooner. The initial results are very positive. A study in people who had a stroke showed that the use of VR led to better movement of the arm and hand after four weeks of therapy. After two months, these patients also showed better mobility. Other research in patients with cerebral palsy showed similar improved outcomes.

"The power of VR in therapy is that you really get to work with how people see the world," Keshner explains. "They learn how to respond. And after practicing in the virtual world, they are much more confident and better able to do that in the real world too."