Beyond the Scalpel: How Mixed Reality Is Revolutionising Surgical Training in 2025

Royal Australian Air Force Medical Staff inside of BlueRoom Mixed Reality Simulator

Over the past few years virtual synthetic training has undergone a significant transformation driven by advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies. At the forefront of this transformation is BlueRoom Simulator, a leading innovator in virtual and mixed reality surgical training solutions. 

Immersive Surgical Simulations

There have been synthetic and Virtual Reality (VR) surgical simulators on the market for years, these have allowed the surgeon either the ability to practice a very detailed skill or practice a procedure within a synthetic environment. It is only now that Mixed Reality allows the surgeon to do both. Allowing the trainee the ability to practice complex surgical procedures while immersed within hyper-realistic surgical environments, civilian and military.

For instance, the BlueRoom Simulator allows surgical trainees to interact realistically with real surgical instruments, real skill trainers, cut suits or cadavers, while wearing Varjo Mixed Reality Headsets that immerses the trainee within a virtual world. Thus, the trainee can interact with both virtual and real world objects and people simultaneously, allowing the surgeon to practice their specific skill or an entire procedure/surgery while immersed within a realistic environment. 

The benefit of this, is it allows the surgeon to prepare for specific environments that they seldom have access to. This might be due to a specific surgical theatre being unavailable for training, or the surgeon is preparing for a humanitarian employment in a austere environment, or for military surgeons that are training for surgery within forward deployed hospitals, combat environments or during a CASEVAC/MEDEVAC onboard a aircraft, land vehicle or ship.

The benefit of using Mixed Reality for surgical training is that it allows any level of surgical procedure, thus a military paramedic can practice a chest tube or a surgeon can practice a ROBOA (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta) while immersed on the side of a cliff. While a interventional cardiologist can practice a procedure immersed within a hard to access paediatric cardiac catheterisation laboratory (Cath Lab).

The MR surgical simulator allows the instructor to adjust the complexity of the scenario, allows the instructor to change the environment, add stresses, and track the learning. 

Integration with Garmin Biometrics

Integrating biometrics into the BlueRoom simulator has enhanced the ability for the instructor to track and interpret the performance of the trainee. The BlueRoom Mission Control allows the instructor to see the students heart rate and stress level in real time, using it as a metric to interpret cognitive load and to create adaptive learning environments that tailor scenarios and challenges to each user's skill level, ensuring personalised training experiences.

The benefit of this is to keep the student within an optimal learning zone, too much stress the student will be overwhelmed and not learning, too little, they will not be alert enough to retain the maximum amount of information. By titrating the stress to an optimal level using biometric markers as one metric the student will be able to maximise their retention and learning experience.

Strategic Alignment and Interoperability

BlueRoom Simulator is strategically aligned with multiple defence frameworks and objectives internationally, enhancing its credibility and global relevance. For instance, the simulator aligns closely with Australia's Defence Strategic Review 2023, specifically in areas such as Air Combat and Mobility, Humanitarian Operations, and Sovereign Capability. Furthermore, BlueRoom’s capabilities support Australia's Defence Enterprise Learning Strategy 2035 by exploiting virtual reality and gaming technologies and developing education in emerging technologies relevant to joint warfighting.

Similarly, BlueRoom’s alignment with the UK's and Australia's shared AUKUS Pillar II strategy positions it as an essential training solution for rapid up-skilling, strategic stockpile preparedness, and multinational interoperability between Australian, UK, and US defence forces.

Scenario Development

The BlueRoom MR Mission Control allows for the instructor to author an infinite number of scenarios without any programming. This means, that as clinical priorities change, procedures change, clinical guidelines change or new equipment is introduced, the simulator is ready.

 be authored by the instructor without any need to ask BlueRoom Simulations to make any edits. This means that an institution can be in charge of their own scenarios under their own clinical guidelines,

Real-World Case Studies

Multiple medical institutions have successfully integrated BlueRoom’s MR solutions into their surgical training programs, demonstrating impressive results.

One notable example is the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) use of BlueRoom Simulator for training medical personnel in high-stakes aeromedical evacuation scenarios. The immersive MR training allows for a rapid training capability in environments that were otherwise extremely challenging to access.

Civilian institutions, such as paramedic schools, universities and hospitals are looking at BlueRoom Simulations to support improvements in practical surgical skills in high stress environments.

Conclusion

As MR technology continues to evolve, its potential to transform medical training, enhance surgical precision, and improve patient outcomes is endless. BlueRoom Simulator exemplifies how innovative approaches can effectively bridge educational gaps, bringing surgical training into a new era that extends far beyond traditional learning environments. Through continuous innovation and practical implementation, MR training promises to reshape the landscape of surgical education for generations to come.