Challenges in surgical training- Exploring the role of virtual and augmented reality

Abstract

In the field of surgery, major changes that have occurred include the advent of minimally invasive surgery and the realization of the importance of the ‘systems’ in the surgical care of the patient (Pierorazio & Allaf, 2009). Challenges in surgical training are two-fold: (i) to train the surgical residents to manage a patient clinically (ii) to train them in operative skills (Singh & Darzi,2013). In Pakistan, another issue with surgical training is that we have the shortest duration of surgical training in general surgery of four years only, compared to six to eight years in Europe and America (Zafar & Rana, 2013).