An analysis of virtual reality in abdominal surgery—A scoping review

Abstract Background The integration of virtual reality (VR) in surgery has gained prominence as VR applications have increased in popularity. Methods A scoping review was undertaken, gathering the most relevant sources, utilising a detailed literature search of medical and academic databases including EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane, IEEE, Google Scholar, and the Google search engine. Results Of the 18 articles included, 7 focused on VR in colon surgery, 5 addressed VR in pancreas surgery, and the remaining 6 concentrated on VR in liver surgery. All the articles concluded that VR has a promising future in abdominal surgery by facilitating precision, visualisation, and surgeon training. Conclusions Adopting VR technology in abdominal surgery has the potential to improve preoperative planning, decrease perioperative anxiety among patients, and facilitate the training of surgeons, residents, and medical students. Additional supporting studies are necessary before VR can be widely implemented in surgical care delivery.