Simulation, Planning And Navigation In Laparoscopic Surgery: Current Status And Challenges

Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques are getting introduced into surgical routine. They bring important advantages to the patients, but also the challenge for the physician to acquire all necessary skills and to accommodate to the reduced workspace. There is a crescent pressure to have transparent training programs, with objective metrics of surgical skill. Virtual reality (VR) simulators are a valuable and valid solution for surgical training and skills assessment. On the other hand, the reduced workspace and dexterity also limit the applicability of a MIS approach. Surgical planning and navigation systems help to find a viable surgical solution for complex cases and to optimise the surgical outcome. This chapter reviews the latest advances in surgical simulation, planning and navigation, focusing on laparoscopic surgery as the application field. Technologies and current solutions for each of these three fields are described, some recent results are presented, and current challenges for future research are outlined.