Cincinnati Children’s Gifted $2.7 Million for Virtual Reality Surgical Planning
Post Date: November 15, 2023 | Publish Date:
![Ryan Moore using VR technology](https://scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ryan-Moore-VR_827x389.jpg)
The Turner Farm Foundation has generously gifted Cincinnati Children’s $2.7 million to expand its use of virtual surgical planning technology and enable the health system to partner and plan with teams worldwide in a “metaverse” environment.
Cardiothoracic surgeon, David Morales, MD, and pediatric imaging cardiologist, Ryan Moore, MD, lead the team utilizing virtual reality for surgical planning at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute. The technology allows surgeons to walk through a 3D “digital twin” of their patients’ hearts and individualize plans for the procedure before the surgeon even enters the operating room. This is especially helpful for complex surgeries that were not previously possible or needed to be completed in stages and has already led to novel surgical approaches being performed for the first time at Cincinnati Children’s.
Another benefit of the technology is the creation of a “metaverse,” where multiple surgeons and cardiologists can gather in the same virtual space and connect with other medical professionals around the world in real time. With translation capabilities, these experts can surpass language barriers to assist centers anywhere in performing procedures.
Read the full press release
![David Morales, MD, and Shabana Shahanavaz, MD, Prep for Procedure with 3D Model of Patient](https://scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CCHMC-VR-02.jpg)
![Ryan Moore, MD, and Medical Artist Jeff Cimprich Produce 3D Models in the Cincinnati Children's Media Lab](https://scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CCHMC-VR-03.jpg)
![woman testing out VR technology](https://scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CCHMC-VR-05.jpg)