James Grierson and AMVS team carrying out the successful surgery.
AMVS Vet Uses Combined Virtual And Augmented Reality In Surgery
1 month ago 
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A specialist vet in the UK has used virtual reality (VR) technology to successfully perform surgery on a dog.
The operation was carried out by James Grierson, head of surgery at Linnaeus-owned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire.
James has collaborated closely with two hi-tech partners to create a new ground-breaking approach that combines virtual and augmented reality (AR) in a move that could help transform veterinary care – and even benefit humans, too.
James said: “It is incredibly exciting that we are at the forefront of embracing and exploring this amazing new technology.
“I am confident it will go on to play a key role in enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of many surgical treatments which could benefit both veterinary and human healthcare.”
James’ breakthrough success has come after he joined forces with Ad Gandhe, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in human healthcare at Portsmouth hospital, and specialist orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Bill Oxley.
Both Ad and Bill have their own companies which are dedicated to improving treatments and training in human and veterinary healthcare and the trio worked together to mastermind this new approach.
The patient undergoing the pioneering surgery was a one-year-old Jack Russell terrier cross called Woody, whose front legs were severely deformed and bowed.
James said: “Woody had an antebrachial limb deformity which meant his front legs grew abnormally, resulting in very bent legs.
“This caused problems with his walking which, in turn, put increased stresses on his joints, potentially creating further future problems, so he required surgery to both legs to prevent this.
“We gave Bill the CT scans of Woody’s legs and, using CAD and 3D modelling, he worked out how the limbs should look and then produced guides for the bones and cuttings to facilitate the surgery.
“Those guides would enable us to precision cut the bones and his additional guides would hold everything in place while we secured the modified bones segments with plates and screws.
“Where this case deviated from normal procedures, though, is it then used a combination of AR and VR with a holographic headset to carry out the operation.
“It was a revelation. It felt like a natural extension of the surgery, enhancing my understanding in real-time.
“I was even able to rehearse the surgery numerous times in the luxury of my own home the day before!
“The immersive experience also made it significantly easier in the operating theatre. I had all the 3D renderings and models available in front of me whilst performing the surgery.
“VR also allowed me to have the key notes and procedures for the operation available throughout on my headset, which made surgery faster and far more efficient.
“The technology all worked perfectly. Both surgeries were a complete success and Woody’s life has been transformed.
“It is ground-breaking work and we have a unique opportunity here to progress and evolve the way we work across human and animal health. I’m proud Anderson Moores can be part of this.”
Anderson Moores offers expert care in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, feline hyperthyroid clinic, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.
For more information, visit www.andersonmoores.com or search for Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists on social media.
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