Doctors in Chennai hospital use Apple Vision Pro headset for surgeries

Dr R Parthasarathy of GEM Hospitals said with introduction of Apple Vision Pro headset, task of performing surgeries has become much easier.

Surgeons at Chennai's GEM Hospital are now equipped with Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headsets to carry out laparoscopic surgeries ranging from gall bladder procedures to surgery to treat stomach cancer, and fistulas and hernias.

Surgeons in Chennai using Apple Vision Pro headset to perform surgeries.(X/ @sdhrthmp)

Surgical gastroenterologist and COO of GEM Hospitals Dr R Parthasarathy said with the introduction of such high-tech devices, the task of performing key hole surgeries has become much easier.

“There is no delay in transmission. I had a better vision and was connected to the real world. Whatever I can see on the monitor that displays the laparoscopic surgery can be viewed on this device, too. In addition, if I want to view a CT scan, I can simultaneously see it in the device itself. I can enlarge the view of the patient's internal organs to the size of a wall and see them in the greatest detail,” Dr Parthasarathy was quoted by The Hindu as saying.

The doctor further emphasised the benefits of the Apple Vision Pro headset from an ergonomic point of view, saying if a doctor wants to seek an expert's opinion while doing a surgery, it can be done seamlessly. "We can use the device to FaceTime with experts and even teach medicine. More than anything else, we don't have to suffer from neck pain after long surgeries," he further said.

While describing the use of technology in the day-to-day operations, Dr Parthasarathy told WION, "Usually, we have a single 55-inch 4K resolution surgical monitor in the operation theatre. Two surgeons and two support staff must view that single monitor, which means that each one needs to turn towards the monitor and watch the real-time video. But with this headset, while performing the surgery, I keep multiple tabs open and simultaneously view the patient's CT scan, MRI scan and other data, by just looking around."

Laparoscopic surgeries are performed by making a small cut in the patient's abdomen and inserting a tube-like camera to get a real-time visuals from inside the body. This internal view is displayed on a monitor, which enables the doctors to carry out the operations.

Apple Vision Pro headset:

Launched in February in the US, Apple's high-priced headset for toggling between the real and digital world is being dubbed as the “tomorrow's technology today" by the tech giant. It is also regarded as an offering for work and personal entertainment in a mixed-reality set-up.

The headset, which costs $3499, is not officially available in India.