MEC ImpactReport 2023 flipbook - Flipbook - Page 21
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Protecting surgeons and patients
Retraining through simulation
would help ensure patient
safety as surgeons returned to
this work, but also led to huge
demand for training time on
simulators. What’s more, with
social distancing rules in place,
it wasn’t possible for trainers
to sit in the room with trainees
using the simulator and run
training sessions.
George therefore helped
develop a way of networking
simulators together and
streaming immersive Virtual
Reality (VR) video feeds from
simulators to trainees over
the internet. This allowed
trainers to deliver high quality,
safe, socially-distanced
sessions without needing to
be physically in the room. This
also allows far more equitable
and efficient use of these
important training resources,
and supports better surgical
outcomes for potentially tens
of thousands of patients each
year across the country.
Using AI to support surgeons
George also used his sabbatical time to work with a startup called TouchSurgery to test
a new AI tool designed to support operating surgeons in real time. The tool is the first
ever to offer real-time feedback and predictions to medical teams during an operation,
helping to improve the speed and safety of surgery.
Thanks to George’s role in developing the technology, Moorfields will receive free use
of the tool for five years – it will ultimately aim to ensure safer operations for patients,
better training for new surgeons and millions of pounds saved for the NHS.
My sabbatical time ended up being very different from anticipated as a result of the
Covid-19 pandemic. With the extra challenges it presented, a lot of research was put on
hold – and without the dedicated time that the sabbatical allowed me, it would have been
incredibly difficult to dedicate the time and energy that these projects needed to see them
come to such exciting conclusions.
George Saleh, Director of simulation training at Moorfields
What next?
Despite the disruptions of Covid, George’s sabbatical was hugely successful. Now he’s
looking to widen this network of surgical simulators, further improving access to this
critical training tool and improving patient safety across the country. George’s work during
his sabbatical also led to his appointment as the Royal College of Ophthalmology virtual
and augmented reality lead, allowing him to continue developing his work in this area
following his return to work.
With your support we’ve purchased a surgical simulator to train surgeons at Moorfields.