Neurosurgeon uses virtual avatars to separate conjoined twins

Neurosurgeon Carlo Giorgio Giussani has detailed a complex surgical process used to separate conjoined twins using virtual and physical avatars. Presenting at the 75th national congress of the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (Sinch), Giussani explained that the separation was one of the most difficult chapters in neurosurgery due to the rarity of such cases and the technical challenges involved.

The medical team studied and treated the twins for approximately 18 months. The procedure involved multiple stages, including two neurovascular separations, the implantation of prostheses to expand skin, and a final definitive separation. Because the nervous and vascular anatomy changed drastically after each intervention, the team had to re-study the anatomy, create new avatars, and re-plan subsequent procedures.

The iterative approach utilized augmented reality, virtual simulations, over 30 three-dimensional models, and tests in an angiographic room. Giussani noted that while technology like avatars makes surgical gestures safer, it serves as a support to the surgeon's expertise and cognitive autonomy rather than a replacement.