Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1345 - 1019: Far Ahead

Chapter 1345: Chapter 1019: Far Ahead

The next day, the topic of conversation at work became extracardiac man, as everyone had gone home and looked up a lot of information, gaining a certain understanding of this disease and its surgery, so the conversation was lively. This learning atmosphere was exactly what Yang Ping wanted, as everyone always maintained a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

Yang Ping contacted Professor He at Nandu Medical University and learned that their virtual reality operating room had taken its first step. They used digital human technology to establish a model related to heart surgery. Although the virtual surgery model is still being perfected, it is currently usable, which is perfect for finding and solving issues during use to help perfect the model.

Hearing this news, Yang Ping was undoubtedly very happy. Although it was just a step forward, it brought him one step closer to his goal of transferring his System Space Laboratory into the real world.

In order to get everyone in touch with the operating room established with virtual reality technology sooner, Yang Ping decided to take the department’s doctors to visit Nandu Medical University and use this extracardiac man case as a test. They would build a virtual body for everyone to practice on.

There was no time during the day due to surgeries, but after work in the afternoon, Yang Ping took everyone to the Nandu University Medical Digital Medical Laboratory. This laboratory had expanded many times over its original size, thanks to Yang Ping’s strong financial support.

Principal Ruo of Nandu Medical University had recently resigned, which Yang Ping felt was a pity. Principal Ruo, in both character and scholarship, was definitely a good leader, but unfortunately had to resign and apologize due to being implicated in the Guan Ruyan incident.

The virtual reality operating room was very spacious, equipped with various top-notch global equipment. Establishing a model for a case required cooperation between the doctors and the laboratory researchers, with both parties needing to understand each other’s technical points.

Professor He personally explained the relevant knowledge about the VR operating room: "The key to the VR operating room is to construct a highly realistic VR surgery simulation system. Our VR model, though created relatively late, is definitely one of the most advanced in the world, because at the core of the VR operating room is actually the digital human technology, and our digital humans are the world’s most advanced."

"Having a universal base model is far from enough. We also need to build specific personalized models, which requires the use of high-resolution 3D modeling technology. For example, like the extracardiac man case you sent over, it requires precise reconstruction of the patient’s heart, sternum, diaphragm, etc. Additionally, the application of a physics engine makes the behavior of objects in the virtual environment highly consistent with that of objects in the real world, including the feel of operating surgical instruments, the elastic feedback of tissues, synchronization with the virtual digital human, and more."

"Before the simulation surgery begins, doctors need to input the patient’s CT or MRI data. These data will be used to construct the patient’s specific personalized virtual model. Through data processing and three-dimensional reconstruction, the system can generate a highly precise virtual body of the patient, including all key structures such as the heart, blood vessels, sternum, and diaphragm."

Professor Mainshtan had already sent these data to Yang Ping, who had forwarded them to Professor He, and they were actively constructing the model.

"After the virtual body is established, doctors also need to set surgical targets and simulation parameters, such as the surgical approach, instrument selection, expected complications, etc. The system will dynamically adjust the simulation environment based on these parameters to ensure the authenticity and specificity of the simulated surgery. Therefore, we must maintain close interaction and cooperation to establish a qualified model."

"The simulated surgery begins with the choice of surgical approach!"

The following work was detailed in documents with Professor He, but as he was not a doctor, he definitely couldn’t explain it professionally, so it had to be left to the doctors to elaborate, which was perfect for researchers to further understand the surgical process.

Song Zimo took on the task of explaining the surgical procedure without hesitation, picking up the documents in his hand: "Extracardiac man is a colloquial term; its scientific name is Cantrell’s Pentalogy. The surgery usually requires a combined thoracoabdominal incision to fully expose the heart and surrounding structures."

Professor He immediately supplemented with relevant VR knowledge: "In the VR environment, doctors can visually see the field of vision at different incision locations, choose the best surgical approach, and simulate cutting the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle layers with glove-type controllers, exposing the sternal cleft and diaphragm defects. Once the model is built, everyone can try it out, it’s very lifelike, and I’m not bragging."

"This is the glove-type controller!" A researcher lifted a pair of glove-type controllers to show everyone in sync with Professor He’s explanation.

Song Zimo continued: "Next, doctors need to simulate repairing the sternal cleft and diaphragm defects."

Professor He took over the conversation in a timely manner, and the two alternated explanations in a smooth collaboration: "In the VR environment, doctors can use virtual sutures and needle holders to stitch according to the predetermined surgical plan. The system will provide real-time feedback on the tightness of suturing and the tension in the tissues based on the doctor’s actions. If the suturing is improper, the system will also issue a warning, prompting doctors to adjust."

"Cantrell’s Pentalogy patients often have a variety of cardiac malformations, such as double outlet right ventricle, interatrial septal defect, and interventricular septal defect."

"In VR simulation, doctors can deal with these malformations one by one. For example, for double outlet right ventricle, doctors can use virtual scissors and forceps to simulate resection of part of the conal septum and use sutures or patches for repair. The system will show real-time changes in cardiac structure and the impact on hemodynamics based on the doctors’ operations."

"After repairing the cardiac malformation, the doctor needs to restore the displaced heart into the thoracic cavity and secure it."

"In a VR environment, doctors can simulate the process of moving the heart and simultaneously observe the response of surrounding tissues. Our Digital Human model is capable of simulating almost all physiological processes to date. By adjusting the heart’s position and angle, doctors can ensure that the heart is stably situated within the chest cavity while avoiding compression of surrounding blood vessels and nerves. Finally, doctors need to use virtual sternum plates or sutures to fix the sternum and ribs together, completing the reconstruction of the thorax."

"Cantrell’s pentad patients often have associated defects in the midline of the abdominal wall and umbilical hernias."

"In VR simulations, doctors can simulate the repair of these defects. First, the doctor needs to resect the hernial sac and excessive abdominal tissues; then, using virtual sutures or patches, the abdominal wall reconstruction is performed. The system provides real-time displays of the repair effects of the abdominal wall defects and the tension state of the abdominal wall based on the surgeon’s maneuvers."

"Throughout the entire simulation surgery, the system provides real-time feedback and assessment."

"Therefore, the surgical modeling greatly tests the doctor’s understanding of the surgery. Without it, one cannot precisely simulate the real surgical process, especially the accidents and complications that may occur during the surgery. The more thorough and meticulous the consideration, the greater the value of the surgical simulation."

"For example, when a doctor simulates suturing, the system will display in real time the tightness of the stitches and the tissue tension; When treating cardiac malformations, the system will show in real time the changes in heart structure and the impact on hemodynamics. This feedback and evaluation help doctors to identify and correct errors in their maneuvers promptly, improving surgical skills."

Directors He and Song Zimo, one is responsible for explaining the process of the real surgery, and the other for explaining how the corresponding VR operating room replicates the surgical process.

Director He confidently said, "Once our system is fully established, I’m telling you, the training period for surgeons will be reduced to one-tenth of the original. What used to take ten years to achieve, now can be done in one year. The VR surgery simulation system also supports personalized training and data analysis functions. Doctors can choose different difficulty levels of simulated surgeries for practice based on their experience and skill level. The system will automatically adjust the difficulty and complexity of the simulated surgeries according to the doctor’s performance, ensuring the maximization of training effectiveness. By then, practicing surgeries will be like playing a game, a game with much higher technical content than all your Kings and PUBGs."

Usually serious Professor He is now talking about Kings and PUBGs, causing all the doctors and researchers in the laboratory to laugh.

"I’m not boasting, our system is far ahead. While simulating surgeries, the system will also collect and analyze doctors’ operational data in simulated surgeries, such as surgery time, suture quality, frequency of instrument usage, etc. This data can be used to assess a doctor’s skill level and develop personalized training plans for them. Additionally, these data can also be used to train artificial intelligence algorithms to provide real-time assistance and decision support for doctors in complex surgeries. Isn’t artificial intelligence popular now? Let me give you a top-secret tip—just keep it to yourselves and don’t spread it around—we are currently researching artificial intelligence in digital medicine."

"We are far ahead in this respect." Professor He was animated and excited.

Yang Ping was so persistent in pursuing the establishment of a VR operating room because he knew himself that practicing surgeries in the System Space Laboratory advanced one’s skills exponentially, something that ordinary people simply cannot reach.

To replicate the operating room of the System Space in reality, only VR technology can be used, which has significant advantages in simulating surgeries. First, it provides a safe, risk-free practice environment, allowing surgeons to perform surgery practices multiple times without harming patients; second, it improves the precision and success rate of surgeries, helping doctors to identify and correct errors during operations promptly through real-time feedback and assessment; lastly, it fosters the development of personalized training and data-driven medical education.

However, VR surgery simulation is not entirely without drawbacks—the realism of the simulated environment is still limited, unable to replicate all the details and variables of a real surgery completely; the high cost of equipment and the complexity of operation limit its widespread application in primary medical institutions; data security and privacy issues also need to be sufficiently addressed.

Yang Ping believes that with continuous technological progress and expanding application fields, VR surgery simulation technology will play an increasingly important role in the field of medicine. In the future, we will be able to use higher-resolution VR devices, more complex surgical simulation software, and intelligent virtual systems. The development of these technologies will further improve the realism and interactivity of VR surgery simulations, providing doctors with a more lifelike and efficient practice environment.

"Let me tell you, in the future, VR surgery simulation technology can be combined with other advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. For example, by collecting and analyzing the operational data from simulated surgeries, more intelligent decision-support systems can be trained; through the combination with 3D printing technology, more precise surgical guides and implants can be customized. These combined applications will further promote the development and innovation of surgical technology. These are what we are currently researching—far ahead!"

Lastly, Director He said: "Everyone, get familiar with these helmets and gloves. Although our model is not yet completed, even a half-finished model is far ahead of our peers. Next, you can have an early try and experience it. In the system, you will wear VR helmets and glove-style controllers. Through head tracking and gesture recognition technology, real-time interaction with the virtual environment is achieved. The helmet provides an immersive stereo visual experience, making you feel as though you are in a real operating room, and the glove-style controller can precisely capture hand movements, enabling accurate manipulation of surgical instruments."

"I can assure you, our technology is far ahead!" Director He said excitedly.

The doctoral students nearby felt that their mentor was a bit too excited today, using certain phrases a bit too frequently, so they nudged their mentor with their elbow and whispered a reminder, "Stay modest; there’s no need to keep saying we’re far ahead."

Although it’s true, the Chinese prefer modesty and a lower profile, not this kind of confident and high-tone.

"Oh! Actually, we’re just a little bit ahead, just a little bit." Director He explained, putting on a modest front.