title: Feasibility and safety of augmented reality-assisted urological surgery using smartglass.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility, safety and usefulness of augmented reality-assisted urological surgery using smartglass (SG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven urological surgeons (3 board urologists and 4 urology residents) performed augmented reality-assisted urological surgery using SG for 10 different types of operations and a total of 31 urological operations. Feasibility was assessed using technical metadata (number of photographs taken/number of videos recorded/video time recorded) and structured interviews with the urologists on their use of SG. Safety was evaluated by recording complications and grading according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Usefulness of SG for urological surgery was queried in structured interviews and in a survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The implementation of SG use during urological surgery was feasible with no intrinsic (technical defect) or extrinsic (inability to control the SG function) obstacles being observed. SG use was safe as no grade 3-5 complications occurred for the series of 31 urological surgeries of different complexities. Technical applications of SG included taking photographs/recording videos for teaching and documentation, hands-free teleconsultation, reviewing patients' medical records and images and searching the internet for health information. Overall usefulness of SG for urological surgery was rated as very high by 43 % and high by 29 % of surgeons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Augmented reality-assisted urological surgery using SG is both feasible and safe and also provides several useful functions for urological surgeons. Further developments and investigations are required in the near future to harvest the great potential of this exciting technology for urological surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany. borgmann.hendrik@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borgmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alvaro Cunqueiro University Hospital, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Socarrás
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gomez Rivas
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Institut Montsouris, Université Paris-Descartes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barret
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alvaro Cunqueiro University Hospital, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tortolero
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D055096:Optical Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061214:Patient Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D000072178:Urologists; D014572:Urology / Q000193:education*; D014741:Video Recording; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
keywords: Google Glass; Surgical training; Technology; Urology; Wearables