Virtual reality of three-dimensional surgical field for surgical planning and intraoperative management

Purpose To investigate the impact of virtual reality (VR) technologies on urological surgeries, specifically in the management of prostate cancer and renal cancer. Methods A non-systematic review of the literature was performed. Medline, Pubmed, and the Cochrane Database were screened for studies regarding the use of VR technologies in the management of prostate and renal cancer. Results In the management of prostate cancer, VR technologies have been increasingly applied for diagnosis with magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasound fusion biopsy, surgical training using a simulator, surgical navigation in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, and targeted focal therapy. In partial nephrectomy, surgical simulation and intra-surgical guidance with three-dimensional VR have been used for better understanding of the hilar vascular information, tumor location, and positional relationships of the tumor-feeding vessel and pyelocaliceal system. Conclusions VR contributes to the education, training, and simulation of surgical procedures as well as helping the surgeons to tailor surgical planning on each patient. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the beneficial impacts of this technology for both the physician and patient by objective parameters.