Futuristic technology pioneered in the gaming industry is being used by a Brisbane orthopaedic surgeon to do complicated shoulder reconstructions.

In what is believed to be an Australian first, engineers created 3D images of the shoulder of a young patient who had suffered a bone defect after a traumatic dislocation.

The images were then converted into holograms which Dr Ashish Gupta could see in the operating theatre while wearing a headset.

The holograms helped guide the operation, enabling Dr Gupta to view hidden parts of the patient’s anatomy.

The patient’s shoulder defect was repaired using a graft made from a bone donation.

Research and development engineer Marine Launay created the 3D models.

She said the holograms gave the surgeon more detail.

“The surgeon is able to visualise the holograms during the surgery and is able to interact with them as well and it provides the surgeon with more information because they are able to see beyond the operative field,” Ms Launay said.

“It’s like being able to see what’s happening behind a wall.”

Trial underway

Dr Gupta said he has done more than a dozen operations using mixed reality technology at Greenslopes Private Hospital as part of an approved clinical trial.

The technology is being validated by biomedical engineers at the Queensland University of Technology.

“So before anything rolls out to the vast majority of the patient population we need to be absolutely sure that this is safe, it’s effective and is as accurate as we think it is,” he said.

Dr Gupta said the holograms could be significant for other medical fields including neurological, spinal and vascular surgery.

“It really will change the way we operate, we teach, we train and we skill other surgeons in time to come,” he said.

CEO of Greenslopes Private Hospital Chris Went said it was an important medical milestone.

“This research is really going to help guide us into the future of health care and how we actually make things specifically for the patient,” she said.