ArticleJournal of global oncology2019
Using Low-Cost Virtual Reality Simulation to Build Surgical Capacity for Cervical Cancer Treatment.
Article in Journal of global oncology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Low-cost, Technology-enhanced Simulation Training for Healthcare Training in Low-and Middle-income Countries (LMICs): A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Pooled it
- First experiences of immersive virtual reality as an additional learning tool in curricular teaching for orthopedic and trauma surgery.Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Innovative approaches to pericardiocentesis training: a comparative study of 3D-printed and virtual reality simulation models.Advances in simulation (London, England) · 2025Article
- Mapping the cancer research landscape across Zambia: evidence to support national cancer control planning.Ecancermedicalscience · 2025Review
- Virtual reality simulation and real-life training programs for cataract surgery: a scoping review of the literature.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Immersive virtual reality in orthopedic surgery as elective subject for medical students : First experiences in curricular teaching.Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024Article
- Improving the quality of care and patient safety in oncology, the contribution of simulation-based training: A scoping review.International journal of nursing sciences · 2024Article
- Current Implementation Outcomes of Digital Surgical Simulation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Scoping Review.JMIR medical education · 2023Article
- Virtual reality and surgical oncology.Ecancermedicalscience · 2023Review
- Use of simulation-based training of surgical technical skills among ENTs: an international YO-IFOS survey.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2021Article
- Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality-Based Head-Mounted Devices for Medical Education: Systematic Review.JMIR serious games · 2021Review
- User Experience With Low-Cost Virtual Reality Cancer Surgery Simulation in an African Setting.JCO global oncology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeWorldwide, more than 80% of people diagnosed with cancer will require surgery during their disease course, but only 5% to 20% of low- and middle-income countries have access to safe, affordable, and timely surgery. Developing surgical oncology skills requires significant time and mentoring. Virtual reality (VR) simulators can reduce the time required to master surgical procedures but are prohibitively expensive. We sought to determine whether a VR simulator using low-cost computer gaming equipment could train novice surgeons in Africa to perform a virtual radical abdominal (open) hysterectomy (RAH).
methodsOur RAH VR simulator used the Oculus Rift (Oculus VR, Menlo Park, CA), a VR headset with hand controllers that costs less than $1,500. Surgical novices learned to perform five key steps of a virtual RAH. We measured and identified predictors of movement and time efficiency for the simulation.
resultsTen novice surgeons in Lusaka, Zambia, enrolled in the study. Movement and time efficiency greatly improved over time. Independent predictors of movement efficiency were number of simulations, surgical experience, and time since college graduation. Independent predictors of time efficiency were number of simulations, surgical experience, days between simulation sessions, age, sex, and an interaction between number of simulations and surgical experience.
conclusionLow-cost VR may be an effective tool to help surgical novices learn complex surgical oncology procedures. If learning to perform VR surgical procedures with low-cost hardware leads to faster mastery of surgical procedures in the operating room, low-cost VR may represent one of the solutions to increasing access to surgical cancer care globally.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.