A Preliminary Evaluation of a Burr Hole Drilling Simulator for Craniotomy

Abstract

A training transfer paradigm was used to evaluate a virtual reality (VR) simulator for performing the burr hole drilling portion of a craniotomy procedure. Participants used a VR simulator that had a physical drill handle interfaced with a haptic force/torque feedback system. They practiced until they met a priori performance criteria and then repeated the procedure with a genuine drill and foam model of a skull. The results showed some positive transfer related to hand steadiness, but not for drilling time. The drilling model incorporated in the simulator may require more effort to maintain the drill position and more revolutions of the drill bit to penetrate the model skull. Thus, practice on the VR simulator enabled the participants to maintain better drill position on the physical model. From a clinical perspective, the findings underscore the advantages of practicing a critical surgical procedure on a simulator prior to performing on a genuine patient.