Virtual Reality in Medicine

Virtual reality is a collection of technologies that enable people to use their senses to experience sensory input provided from a source other than the immediate environment. These events may occur in real time, can be a simulation, or can be completely fictional. Virtual reality (VR) has progressed beyond its military beginnings and is progressively making its way into people’s daily lives. The most prevalent implementation of VR can be found in many forms of modern entertainment such as computer games or IMAX (image maximum) theaters. VR has received little publicity but has enormous potential in the realm of medicine. The utility of VR is starting to be appreciated by the medical community. It is slowly being adopted and implemented in the surgical, medical, and psychiatric specialties. Medical uses of VR are primarily directed toward the simulation of visual, audio, and tactile input. With the aid of VR doctors will be able to perform specialized surgery on a patient from the other side of the world. Students are able to simulate and experience surgical procedures without compromising a patient’s health. Finally, VR can heighten a doctor´s senses and allows input that would be absent without the aid of VR, such as relative bone positions and tissue temperature.