Surgeon’s vision of high-tech future
Surgeons on the Indian subcontinent got a glimpse of how technology could revolutionise their work when head and neck cancer specialist Abdul Ahmed spoke at the International Conference of Oral Cancer in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Northwick Park surgeon was a keynote speaker talking about his use of augmented reality tools in facial reconstruction. This includes 3-D surgery where computer generated images allow surgeons to pre-plan procedures down to where various incisions have to be made, and HoloLens where surgical information appears on the inside of a special pair of glasses worn by the surgeon.
Abdul said: “The cost of these technologies is prohibitive in countries like Bangladesh but we aren’t far away from the day when simple internet access will allow surgeons to use these techniques. At present, we use computer generated templates to re-sculpture bone. It’s not dissimilar to pattern cutting shapes but we use plastic instead of fabric. We aren’t far from the use of virtual templates which means huge cost savings and making this sort of surgery more accessible to lower income countries.”