Global surgical collaboration in virtual reality

How medical virtual reality makes surgical knowledge accessible in remote areas

Virtual reality and 3D imaging open new possibilities for global medical collaboration, enabling professionals to share expertise across distances. In a joint study, University Hospital Bonn (Germany) and the Lamu Medical Centre in Jinja (Uganda) tested AI-enhanced 3D modeling in XR for remote assessment of reconstructive cases. The results showed that collaborative VR sessions allow specialists to exchange knowledge and plan surgical steps in real time, independent of location.

Introduction

Billions of people worldwide still lack access to safe and timely surgical care. The challenge is particularly severe in low-income regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Asia, where shortages of trained surgeons, limited infrastructure, and financial or geographic barriers often prevent treatment for urgent cases.

Virtual reality collaboration offers a way to overcome these barriers. By enabling specialists to share expertise across distances without traveling, VR can improve access to surgical knowledge, planning, and outcomes.

This study is one of the first to explore collaborative XR for reconstructive surgery in rural Uganda. Using AI-enhanced 3D models on affordable consumer hardware, the workflow combined data preparation, virtual case conferences, and structured evaluation.

Data preparation

Patient data was captured with a Google Pixel 7a smartphone, using 45 photographs taken in a 360° session under indirect light to minimize artifacts. The images were processed into 3D models, anonymized, exported in GLTF format, and uploaded to the Medicalholodeck platform for review and realtime discussion

Virtual case conference

Two Ugandan surgeons in Lamu and two surgeons in Germany joined the sessions using VR headsets. On-site surgeons presented patient histories and diagnoses, after which surgical options were jointly discussed. Medicalholodeck enabled synchronized 3D visualization with tools for zooming, rotating, and annotating models using a virtual pen. Each participant was represented by a distinct avatar, creating a shared space for discussion that led to a proposed treatment plan.

Results

Following the conferences, all participants completed a Likert-scale evaluation. The feedback was highly positive, with unanimous agreement on the quality of the 3D models and all surgeons rating audio-visual communication as sufficient.

Large anatomical features were consistently well visualized, while smaller lesions could be assessed satisfactorily by about half of the participants. Overall, the surgeons confirmed that VR conferencing with Medicalholodeck is a feasible approach for reconstructive case discussions in low-resource settings.

Conclusions

This pilot study showed that combining AI-based 3D reconstruction with Medicalholodeck’s XR platform enables efficient, interactive surgical collaboration across continents. Using affordable hardware, surgeons in Uganda and Germany were able to jointly assess reconstructive cases in real time, visualize anatomy in 3D, and agree on treatment options without the need to travel.

Medicalholodeck proved to be a practical and accessible solution, offering high-quality visualization, intuitive collaboration tools, and the ability to run on standard consumer devices. The platform demonstrated that advanced surgical planning and education can be made available even in low-resource settings, provided a stable internet connection is available.

While larger studies are needed, the results highlight how Medicalholodeck can help expand access to surgical expertise, support medical training, and strengthen global collaboration. By turning patient data into an immersive, shared environment, Medicalholodeck brings world-class surgical knowledge closer to communities that need it most.

For more information, contact info@medicalholodeck.com September 2025