Stereoscopic displays in medical domains: a review of perception and performance effects

In this paper we review empirical studies that investigate performance effects of stereoscopic displays for medical applications. We focus on four distinct application areas: diagnosis, pre-operative planning, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and training/teaching. For diagnosis, stereoscopic displays can augment the understanding of complex spatial structures and increase the detection of abnormalities. Stereoscopic viewing of medical data has proven to increase the detection rate in breast imaging. A stereoscopic presentation of noisy and transparent images in 3D ultrasound results in better visualization of the internal structures, however more empirical studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance. For MRI and CT, where images are frequently rendered in 3D perspective, the added value of binocular depth has not yet been convincingly demonstrated. For MIS, stereoscopic displays can decrease surgery time and increase accuracy of surgical procedures. Performance of surgical procedures is similar when high resolution 2D displays are compared with lower resolution stereoscopic displays, indicating an image quality improvement for stereoscopic displays. Training and surgical planning already use computer simulations in 2D, however more research is needed to the benefit of stereoscopic displays in those applications. Overall there is a clear need for more empirical evidence that quantifies the added value of stereoscopic displays in medical domains, such that the medical community will have ample basis to invest in stereoscopic displays in all or some of the described medical applications.