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. 2023 Jun;18(3):182-186.
doi: 10.1159/000529587. Epub 2023 Feb 8.

Augmented Reality in Breast Surgery Education

Pedro F Gouveia  1   2 , Rogélio Luna  1 , Francisco Fontes  3 , David Pinto  1 , Carlos Mavioso  1 , João Anacleto  1 , Rafaela Timóteo  1 , João Santinha  1 , Tiago Marques  1 , Fátima Cardoso  1 , Maria João Cardoso  1   2
Affiliations

Augmented Reality in Breast Surgery Education

Pedro F Gouveia et al. Breast Care (Basel). 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Augmented reality (AR) has demonstrated a potentially wide range of benefits and educational applications in the virtual health ecosystem. The concept of real-time data acquisition, machine learning-aided processing, and visualization is a foreseen ambition to leverage AR applications in the healthcare sector. This breakthrough with immersive technologies like AR, mixed reality, virtual reality, or extended reality will hopefully initiate a new surgical era: that of the use of the so-called surgical metaverse.

Methods: This paper focuses on the future use of AR in breast surgery education describing two potential applications (surgical remote telementoring and impalpable breast cancer localization using AR), along with the technical needs to make it possible.

Conclusion: Surgical telementoring and impalpable tumors noninvasive localization are two examples that can have success in the future provided the improvements in both data transformation and infrastructures are capable to overcome the current challenges and limitations.

Keywords: Augmented reality; Breast cancer; Remote telementoring; Surgical education.

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Conflict of interest statement

Fátima Cardoso reports personal financial interest in form of consultancy role for the following: Amgen, Astellas/Medivation, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, GE Oncology, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Iqvia, Macrogenics, Medscape, Merck-Sharp, Merus BV, Mylan, Mundipharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Pierre-Fabre, prIME Oncology, Roche, Sanofi, Samsung Bioepis, Seagen, Teva, and Touchime. Institutional financial support for clinical trials from the following: Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Fresenius GmbH, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Ipsen, Incyte, Nektar Therapeutics, Nerviano, Novartis, Macrogenics, Medigene, MedImmune, Merck, Millennium, Pfizer, Pierre-Fabre, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Sonus, Tesaro, Tigris, Wilex, and Wyeth. All authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Performing surgeon at the operating room in Lisbon.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Remote digital anchorage of virtual surgical indications for incision placement in a BC conservative surgery with a lateral intercostal artery perforator flap (LICAP) breast reconstruction. Surgeon mentee view through HoloLens 2 showcased at Zaragoza medical conference.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Patient-specific 3D breast model with tumor included (left breast) viewed through an AR headset after breast MRI fusion with patient surface scan.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Surgeon view of tumor location manually synchronized with the patient through AR [12].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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