Over the past few decades, things have changed, and simulation technology is now a crucial aspect of daily life. Event simulators help people comprehend the situation and simulate it for better performance, whether they work in the aerospace or medical fields.
These simulators are powered by AR and VR technology and provide replication of real-life situations. AR VR in healthcare already carves their marks and shown great scope in vision therapy.
One such vision disorder that uses virtual reality to simulate is cataract surgery. Let’s look into cataracts a little more to see how virtual reality can aid in surgery.
What are Cataracts?
Typically, vision becomes blurry as a result of an eye cataract. This is because it gets harder to see clearly as the lens gets cloudier. Additionally, people struggle with reading, driving a car (especially at night), and face recognition.
Cataracts usually take time to develop, and most people are unaware of them until they seriously impair vision. Patients find it convenient to seek assistance while wearing glasses and brighter lighting. However, cataract surgery might be necessary as the condition worsens and the patient‘s daily tasks become more challenging.
The patient may face the following vision-related symptoms for cataracts problem:
blurry, dim, or clouded vision
Hard to see at night time
Sensitivity to light and glare
A need for brighter lighting for activities like reading
noticing “halos” surrounding lights
prescription for glasses or contacts frequently changing
colors fading or turning yellow
One eye experiencing double vision
Diagnosis and treatment of Cataracts
Diagnosis
Your doctor will examine your eyes and review your medical history and symptoms to see if you have a cataract. Your doctor may order a number of tests, such as:
A visual Acuity Test that gradually reduces the size of the text from bolder to smaller helps evaluate reading skills.
Your eye doctor can magnify the structures in the front of your eye using a slit lamp examination. Additionally, viewing your eye structures in sections makes it simpler to spot any slight abnormalities.
In order to prepare for a retinal examination, your eye doctor will insert eye drops to widen and dilate your pupils. This makes looking at the retina in the back of your eyes easier.
An Applanation tonometry test determines the fluid pressure in your eye. A variety of tools are available to accomplish this.
Treatment
The doctor usually considers surgery when the prescribed glasses cannot help with clear vision. The majority of people do not immediately remove cataracts because they typically do not harm the eyes. But some illnesses, like diabetes, hypertension, or obesity, can worsen a person’s condition more than it would for a healthy person.
The clouded lens is removed during cataract surgery, and a new, clear artificial lens is placed. An intraocular lens is a synthetic lens that replaces your natural lens in the eye. It is still an indelible component of your eye.
With the exception of a small minority of cases, cataract surgery is generally safe. Additionally, having cataract surgery raises your risk of retinal detachment. You’ll experience some discomfort for a few days following the procedure. Within a few weeks, healing usually takes place.
Your doctor will schedule surgery to remove the cataract in the second eye if you require cataract surgery for both eyes once you have fully recovered from the first procedure.
Cataracts Surgery Simulation with VR
Sandi Rodoni underwent two operations for aneurysms. But when it came time for her third operation, the medical team treated her to a virtual reality experience. It was similar to going through her own mind. The Stanford Medicine department created a 3D model by combining the images from MRIs, angiograms, and CT scans.
We can build on Sandi Rodoni’s illustration in the context of surgical planning. The doctor can prepare a simulation similar to how cataract surgery is prepared. It will help the surgeons plan the procedure and give the patient a better understanding of how they will be taken care of.
Virtual reality surgery simulators with high levels of fidelity can faithfully reproduce the ergonomics and surgical methods required for training. Additionally, it provides repeatable, reproducible modules that are tailored or generic and closely align with real-world surgical skills. The learning curve is shortened, and surgeons perform better in the operating room thanks to simulator training. A growing number of simulated surgical complications can be addressed by incorporating pathologies in upcoming cataract cases. Additionally, user accounts that enable remote access and make easier monitoring and teaching may be available.
Conclusion
AR VR in healthcare has lots of scope and potential. One of the many benefits is Vision therapy. Vision therapies based on virtual reality (VR) can help you maintain good vision even after cataracts surgery. Your activity level may be limited, and you may become disabled due to this eye condition, but the doctors will treat you as best they can. A win-win situation during surgeries is the use of virtual reality as a simulator.
