Augmented reality in medicine – History: Rafael Grossmann

We’re happy to introduce you to Dr. Rafael  Grossmann. He is a surgeon specializing in general and trauma surgery, and is an expert in advanced laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Born in Venezuela, Dr. Grossman moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan for surgical training, and now practices in Maine. One of Dr. Grossman’s most noteworthy accomplishments, and the one we’re going to discuss here, is his title as the first physician to perform surgery using augmented reality as a surgical tool.

Google Glass was, in 2013, one of the first wearable computer platforms. This amazing invention, which puts virtual reality at the fingertips of surgeons, was able to “rock the system,” as Dr. Grossman puts it in his blog. While Google Glass may not have caught fire in the medical community and many doctors are not yet ready to utilize the benefits of augmented reality, Dr. Grossman made a pivotal step toward encouraging doctors and surgeons everywhere by harnessing these powerful tools.

Grossman, an alumnus and faculty member of Singularity University, always felt that technology and medicine were closely intertwined and should develop side by side. He felt frustrated when he noticed that his students were always “cramming” so hard behind his back trying to “see something in the surgical field” and he recognized his students were missing critical experiences with their limited view. Grossman decided to be proactive about this problem, and took the task of improving the experiences of his students into his own hands.

The procedure on which Dr. Grossman chose to utilize Google Glass technology was a gastronomy. His patient needed to be fed through a surgical tube. The method that Grossman chose to perform the procedure was a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG), a procedure in which a flexible feeding tube is inserted through the abdominal wall to the stomach.

After obtaining permission from the patient and his family, Grossman arranged for the procedure to be broadcast to his students utilizing Google Glass technology. This allowed for the student to have a “virtual presence” in the surgical room, watching Grossman’s every skillful move and listening to his commentary as he performed the surgery. The students were not only able to watch the surgery through Grossman’s point of view, but from the endoscopic view, as well. The intimately close-up learning experience proved invaluable to his students as a result of Grossman’s innovative approach and Grossman became the first surgeon to perform surgery using the power of wearable computer technology.

After this experience, Dr. Grossman went on to advocate for the usage of alternative technology in medicine. He has given TED Talks on the subject, and increases awareness about it on the blog Medical Realities, which was the first platform to broadcast a VR 360° view livestream of a surgical procedure with Dr. Shafi Ahmed. Grossman continues to develop new, revolutionary ways to practice technology in the 21st century. Here at ARinMed, we hope to soon have the honor of welcoming Dr. Grossman for an interview about augmented reality and its importance in medicine, both now and in the future; but for now, we’re happy to celebrate his role in the history of augmented reality in medicine.

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