Effect of 3-Dimensional, Virtual Reality Models for Surgical Planning of Robotic Partial Nephrectomy on Surgical Outcomes: Qualitative Data from a Randomized Clinical Trial

Planning for robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy requires surgeons to review two-dimensional CT or MRI scans to understand three-dimensional (3D) anatomy. We sought to determine the drivers of improvements in key surgical outcomes when using patient-specific 3D virtual reality (VR) models for operative planning. A multicenter, randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients undergoing robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy were randomly assigned to a control group undergoing usual preoperative planning with CT and/or MRI only or to an intervention group where imaging was supplemented with a 3D VR model. A survey was administered to surgeons after review of the model and after the operation. The primary outcome measure was operative time, and secondary outcomes included clamp time, estimated blood loss, and hospital stay. Qualitative data analysis of 44 cases in the treatment arm was performed. Surgeons reported seeing anatomic details much better in the 3D model 55% of the time and modified their preoperative plan based on anatomy shown in the 3D model 30% of the time. Cases in which the surgeon reported modifying their preoperative plan after viewing the model (30%) had significantly lower operative time, blood loss, and clamp time (P < .05). In addition, increased surgeon confidence after viewing the model significantly lowered operative time, estimated blood loss, and clamp time (P < .05). We demonstrate that surgeons who use 3D VR models for robotic kidney surgery are able to visualize anatomic structures and select the optimal approach, leading to better surgical outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT0333434.