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A Moroccan medical team at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca has participated in an international holographic surgery 24-hour livestream.
Organized by tech giant Microsoft this weekend, the video conference included 12 holographic surgeries in countries from around the world.
Senior orthopedic surgeons Belkacem Chagar and Abderrahim Rafaoui co-led the medical team representing Morocco in the event.
They performed the first holographic surgery in Morocco under the eyes of doctors from several countries, such as France, the UK, the US, the UAE, Germany, India, Mexico, and Brazil.
Holographic surgeries are an innovative medical process where surgeons wear a mixed-reality headset. The technological tool allows doctors to view three-dimensional holographic images, such as X-ray scans of the patient, while performing surgery.
Developed by Microsoft and dubbed “HoloLens 2,” the technology can be used both during real surgeries and simulations, allowing trainee surgeons to practice different surgical procedures in a stress-free environment.
“HoloLens 2 is a type of computer that surgeons put on their head, allowing them to have access to three-dimensional models of the patients’ X-ray scans,” Dr. Rafaoui explained to 2M.
“The technology also includes holograms that can be used for simulation purposes during the surgery,” he added.
Real-time international collaboration
In addition to its holographic imaging capabilities, the technology allows doctors from all over the world to collaborate during surgeries, thanks to its real-time streaming and communication capabilities.
During the recent demonstration, the Moroccan medical team performed a surgery while receiving instructions from the doctors watching the stream.
While it remains in its trial stages, HoloLens 2 is expected to be a revolutionary tool in the medical field.
The first holographic surgery in the world took place in 2017 in France, with the participation of surgeons from 13 countries.
“We had a French perspective, we had an American perspective, and we had a Latin American perspective. We had one-quarter of the world inside the operating room,” said the lead surgeon, Thomas Gregory, after the success of the world-premiere holographic surgery.
