Surgeons need a great sense of touch. They first have to acquire this skill in simulation training before they can perform surgery on actual patients. Having said that, simulators are not just meant to teach the right movements; ideally, they should also provide a true-to-life experience of the surgical field – as is the case in RealSpine surgical training.
In this interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com, Prof. Werner Korb talks about realistic training using the haptic RealSpine simulation system, the importance of simulation in surgery and the roles of didactics and technology.
Prof. Korb, what exactly is the "RealSpine" surgical simulator?
Prof. Werner Korb: This system originated from the question of how human factor studies, that being studies of the effect of human beings on sophisticated operational systems, can be conducted in the operating room. We needed a simulator for this. However, it is not possible to just use virtual simulators in surgery, you also need simulators that offer haptic feedback. RealSpine is such a simulation system that includes synthetic materials, fake blood, electronic components, and software. The system allows you to perform surgeries on the spine in a realistic visual and haptic simulation. ...
Read the complete interview with Prof. Werner Korb at MEDICA-tradefair.com!