Introduction

In the past decade, virtual reality has completely reformed the landscape of the medical field, by offering extremely unique opportunities for innovative healthcare applications. Virtual reality has absolutely transcended the role of a mere form of entertainment to something that has emerged as an incredible tool being used to push forward patient care and medical education. From aiding patients in recovery to helping simulate complex surgeries. The uniqueness of virtual reality’s ability is what makes is so special. Virtual reality in medicine is being used for students with aspirations to join the field to neurosurgeons using it to plan out complex surgeries beforehand. The aspects of virtual reality being used in the medical field have not even begun to reach its full potential.

History of VR in Medicine

The history of using virtual reality in the medical field dates back to the early 90’s. It was not until the twentieth century that the industry realized the full potential of using VR. In the beginning of it all virtual reality was only being used as a simulator for surgeries and procedures. Later on, it was realized that this kind of technology can be used for so much more. Virtual Reality then became an important part of pain management therapies because it can be used to help distract patients during very painful procedures. In the following years after this revelation this technology was being used by patients in their rehabilitation allowing people to engage in immersive exercises and other activities that will help in their recovery. Virtual reality has evolved into a tool used by students and professionals in medical education by giving students an opportunity to get an expert look at the human anatomy and gain hands-on experience in a risk-free environment. The adaptation to using virtual reality in the medical space will continue to evolve and as it does it will help revolutionize the industry.

How Surgeons Are Using VR

Surgeons have gotten used to the idea of using virtual reality as a revolutionary tool to use in their profession. Virtual reality has allotted completely new opportunities for surgical training, planning, and practice. Surgeons have been using virtual reality to sharpen their skills and refine their skills before they have to operate on an actual human being. They have been using this technology beyond just using it to study and practice procedures, they are using virtual reality during the actual procedure. Virtual reality is providing surgeons with real time data and decision-making capabilities. These are groundbreaking steps in the field that are leading to increased patient care and helping to revolutionize modern medicine.

The Future of VR in Healthcare

The future of virtual reality in healthcare has endless potential. As time goes by it is expected that VR will become more sophisticated and more accessible to the entire population. Some fields that should expect more advancement are mental health treatment, pain management, and physical rehabilitation. Virtual reality is even helping doctors better empathize with their patients. Dr. Spiegel of Cedars Sinai says, “It can be challenging for doctors to feel what it’s like to have dementia, or what it’s like to be a family member taking care of someone with Parkinson’s disease or to have a migraine headache,” and he continues by saying “All of these examples can be simulated in VR to help doctors better understand what their patients are going through.” There will be concerns with data security and ethics but as time moves forward so will the progression of virtual reality in the medical field.

Conclusion

Virtual reality has become an incredible tool in medicine and has completely revolutionized the industry. VR has given the ability for professionals to make much more informed decisions and students to practice what would be risky operations in a risk-free environment. Virtual reality is fairly new in the medical space and the impact has just begun being felt, but it still has so much more potential in the field.