As we have stayed focused on the news and coverage around the launch of the various virtual reality headsets, a quiet revolution has been transpiring around the use case of Virtual Reality in medicine. VR in healthcare is projected to be a big sector as evidenced in the new Goldman Sachs research report.

Last week, Surgical Theatres announced that they are opening up a new office in our neighborhood, Los Angeles. There wasn’t a big red carpet event or a major paparazzi show down. Most openings and announcements in LA do not happen without usually the Kardashians or the Kameras. So I decided to find out more about this innovative firm. The new unit in LA is expected to be their new Virtual Reality Division and will be led by Alon Zuckerman.

Surgical Theater is based out of Ohio and specializes in products and services related to niche surgical applications. Their neurosurgery imaging platform The SuRgical Planner™ reconstructs CT and MRI images/scans (DICOM) into dynamic, interactive 3D models with life-like tissue reaction and accurate modeling of surgery tools.

The SRP allows surgeons to plan and rehearse a specific patient’s case. The tissue reacts realistically to actions taken by the surgeon, allowing accurate pre-surgery rehearsal, permitting surgeons to “SEE WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE” of their cases. The technology is inspired by Israeli Air Force Simulators, and former Pilots are helping develop 3D Brain Simulator for Surgeons.

Surgical Theater is a leading Virtual Reality and Image Guidance software company for healthcare, and its software applications are providing a comprehensive solution that is transforming the way surgeons consult with patients, plan complex surgical procedures, and use medical imaging to navigate during surgery and post operative review with their peers.

On a typical day, this would have gone unnoticed since I am not that excited about surgery in general, but I couldn’t help looking at some of the clients this firm has been working with as well as the investments that it has been able to source. Surgical Theater is closely working with a large number of university hospitals and other institutions including the Cleveland Clinic.

This was one of the several companies that HTC VIVE invested in last year.

During the investment last year, CEO Cher Wang said “Virtual reality will forever transform the way we experience the world around us, and HTC Vive’s unique 360 room-scale solution and tracking technology is enabling innovative applications of VR which will enrich every aspect of our lives. Our collaboration with Surgical Theater is an exciting opportunity to pioneer the medical use of VR, with a remarkable application in the highly specialized field of neurosurgery that enhances patient care could help save lives.”

It is really encouraging to see that innovative technologies like virtual Reality are moving beyond Games. Although games and gamification strategies have become immensely popular, leading edge applications such as the ones pioneered by Surgical Theater will in fact prove to be the disruptive element that is so needed to create value for Virtual Reality and also arouse interest from shareholders.

We welcome Surgical Theater to Los Angeles!