The Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset was found to be a feasible option to assist surgeons during lumbar endoscopic spine surgery, according to a study published March 4 in Frontiers in Surgery.
Six things to know:
1. A total of 40 adult patients were included in the study, and they were followed for three months after having biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery with Apple Vision Pro assistance.
2. Researchers measured the Surgical Task Load Index for cognitive workload, patient-reported outcomes and complications.
3. Two cases had intraoperative dural tears with no clinical sequelae. Outside of those cases there weren’t any other perioperative complications.
4. The average SURG-TLX score was 22.24, reflecting a “relatively low” cognitive burden on the surgeon. The finding suggests the mixed reality interface didn’t increase the perceived demands on surgeons.
5. After three months the average visual analogue scores for back pain fell from 5.4 to 2.71, and VAS leg scores fell from 6.85 to 2.11. Oswestry Disability Index scores fell from an average 44% to 21%.
6. The study concluded that “the AVP HDM did not increase the operating surgeon’s perceived cognitive workload. The intraoperative use of AVP HMD did not worsen early clinical outcomes and did not increase the risk of complications.”
