Abstract
Introduction:
Surgical training is undergoing a revolution with the arrival of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. These innovative tools create immersive practice environments, but a key question remains unanswered: can surgeons use the skills they learn in AR/VR during actual surgery (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid)? This systematic review aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the translatability of AR/VR training. By analysing translatability across diverse surgical specialties and skill sets, this study aims to estimate the translatability figures of these different skills using AR/VR-based training.
Methodology:
Systematic Review: Conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant studies.
Study Selection: Included studies published between 2010 and 2024 (RCTs, cohort studies, systematic reviews) that evaluated: Skill metrics pre- and post-AR/VR training in clinical settings (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid)
Operative assessment improvements (e.g., GOALS, OSTAS) Literature Search: Comprehensive search across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus using pre-defined search terms related to AR/VR and surgical education.
Data Analysis: Thematic analysis focused on:
-Common surgical skills
-Surgical specialty skill translatability
-calculating mean translatability per skill set (Level 3)
Kirkpatrick's Pyramid for training evaluation Metrics: Task completion time, error rate, accuracy, distance travelled, and operative assessment scores were used to assess surgical performance translatability.
Results:
There was notable improvements in operative assessment scores such as GOALS and OSATS post-training.
Conclusion:
Our ongoing systematic review suggests that AR/VR-based surgical training programs hold significant promise. By analysing skill metrics pre- and post-training, as well as operative assessment improvements, this research indicates effective skill translation to real-world clinical practice (Level 3 of Kirkpatrick's Pyramid). These findings highlight the potential of AR/VR technology as a potential new gold standard in surgical education.