Immersive Three-dimensional Computed Tomography to Plan Chest Wall Resection for Lung Cancer.

Abstract

Chest wall resections for lung cancer treatment remain difficult to plan using standard 2-dimensional computed tomography. Although virtual reality headsets have been used in many medical contexts, they have not been used in chest wall resection planning. We compared preoperative planning of a chest wall surgical resection for lung cancer treatment between senior and resident surgeons who used an immersive virtual reality device and a 2-dimensional computed tomography. Chest wall resection planning was more accurate when surgeons used virtual reality vs computed tomography analysis (28.6% vs 18.3%, P = .018), and this was particularly true in the resident surgeon group (27.4% vs 8.3%, P = .0025). Predictions regarding the need for chest wall substitutes were also more accurate when they were made using virtual reality vs computed tomography analysis in all groups (96% vs 68.5%, P < .0001). Other studied parameters were not affected by the use of the virtual reality tool. Virtual reality may offer enhanced accuracy for chest wall resection and reconstruction planning for lung cancer treatment.