Download PDF
Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1813259
Review Article

Virtual Reality in Neurosurgery: Advancing Training, Education, and Surgical Planning

Authors

  • Laiba Saher 

    1   Department of Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Areeba Asif

    2   Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Zainab Mehmood

    2   Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Syeda Samia Fatima

    2   Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Rabia Nizam

    2   Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
Further Information
Also available at
  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is transforming the vast field of neurosurgery by providing realistic and interactive simulations of intricate brain structures. A literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library using the keywords “virtual reality,” “VR in neurosurgery,” “skill development,” “neurosurgical education,” “patient outcome,” “3D visualisation,” “evolution in neurosurgery,” and “simulators” was performed. The relevant articles, including RCTs, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews and narrative reviews, were considered from inception up to March 2025. This review of existing literature was conducted to explore the evolution, current applications, and future potential of VR in neurosurgery. Emerging in the early 1990s, it lacked accuracy and precision, but now in the 2020s, it provides exceptional benefits to the field. The findings highlight how VR has enhanced the neurosurgical field through various simulators, optimized strategies and planning and decision making, and improved surgical training. Students of neurosurgery can get trained through various 3D models, providing them with a realistic experience of surgical procedures. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has further refined surgical decision-making, risk evaluation, and real-time adaptability. However, various challenges exist, making VR accessibility limited. High cost, lack of numerous skilled operators, user discomfort, and no proper ethical protocols are critical hindrances that need to be addressed. VR has evolved into a crucial tool for neurosurgical innovation, although ongoing research needs to refine AI-driven models, expand accessibility, and establish standardized protocols for easy adoption across diverse healthcare settings.

Keywords

education - neurosurgery - simulator - surgical planning - virtual reality


Publication History

Article published online:
03 December 2025

© 2025. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India