Augmented-, Virtual- and Mixed Reality in Visceral Surgery

The virtual reconstruction of patient-specific three-dimensional organ models or surgical education and training scenarios will enable new surgical planning and training options and new possibilities for patient education, especially for visceral surgery. For this purpose, three-dimensional patient-specific models of different visceral surgical pathologies are segmented from two-dimensional computed tomographic (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and visualized with the help of augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR). Thus, AR and VR enable precise surgical planning of complex operations and training of perioperative scenarios of patient-specific cases. As innovative tools, augmented, virtual and mixed reality can also be used for training at medical universities in future.

The aim of the research topic is to bring together general surgeons, visceral surgeons, and faculty staff from medical schools such as anatomists and biologists who are working on virtual surgical planning and training models and to advance the clinical, translational, and basic research of these promising new technologies.

We especially welcome article types like Original Study, systematic Reviews, Case Series, and Comments.

The manuscripts should represent the following topics:
1. Augmented and virtual reality in medical education
2. Use of virtual reality and augmented reality in oncological education of patients
3. Augmented and virtual reality in clinical use, especially resections and reconstructions in visceral surgery