• Swati Jain, Ivan Timofeev, Ramez Wadie Kirollos, and Adel Helmy.
• Divison of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Divison of Neurosurgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore. Electronic address: sj657@cam.ac.uk.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Aug 1; 176: e68e76e68-e76.

BackgroundMixed reality (MR) technology has opened new avenues for planning, visualization, and education in surgery. Neurosurgical pathologies require a very clear understanding of the relationships between pathology and critical neurovascular structures. The decline in cadaveric dissections and resource constraints has pushed the educators to find newer ways of rendering the same knowledge. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of employing a MR device in a high-volume center for neurosurgical teaching. The study also evaluated the results of the trainee experience in using the MR platform.MethodsThree neurosurgical consultants who are part of the teaching faculty were asked to facilitate the session. No prior training on utilizing the MR device was given to the trainees. HoloLens 2 was used as the MR device. Two questionnaires were used to understand the experience of the trainees.ResultsEight active neurosurgical trainees who are currently training at our institution were recruited for the purposes of this study. Despite having no prior training on a MR platform, the learning curve was short for most of the trainees. Whether MR replace current traditional methods of teaching neuroanatomy, the response was divided across the trainees. The results of the User Experience Questionnaire were positive with the trainees finding the device as attractive, dependable, novel, and user-friendly.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the feasibility of using MR platform in neurosurgery training without significant preparation requirements. These data are required to justify the future investment in this technology for training institutions.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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