Frederick Van Gestel from the Free University of Brussels and colleagues conducted a pilot clinical trial of an augmented reality system for the placement of drainage into the cerebral ventricle (external ventricular drainage). After constructing a three-dimensional model of the brain ventricles based on CT data, 11 patients underwent drainage using the HoloLens 2 AR system with high-precision infrared tracking of the position of the instruments, and the same number of patients without the help of augmented reality. The results of the trial were published in the journal Neurosurgery.
Functional placement of the drain (its penetration into any of the lateral ventricles of the brain) was achieved on the first attempt in all patients in the main group and in seven (64%) in the control group; successful (entering the target ventricle) — in nine (82%) versus five (45%); optimal (without contact with the ventricular wall) — in eight (73%) versus three (27%); suboptimal — in two (18%) versus five (45%), and unsuccessful — in a single patient from the control group. Repeated intervention was required in 36% of cases after conventional intervention and in none after the one performed using the augmented reality system. Complications associated with the procedure developed in two patients from the main group and in five from the control group. The obtained results gave reason to start multicenter randomized controlled trials.