VR Surgical Training Program Expands Across Africa

Fundamental XR has collaborated with Orbis International to deliver a virtual reality ophthalmic training program across Africa, and has now reported measurable results in the first half of this year.

The initiative uses Fundamental XR's surgical simulation platform to help early-stage ophthalmologists build skills before entering the operating room. Five simulator kits have been deployed across four African countries — Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Ghana.

At Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana, 13 first-year residents have collectively logged more than 230 hours of surgical simulation this year, averaging over 14 hours and more than 40 complete Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) procedures per resident. The hospital's clinical faculty designed a mandatory curriculum requiring residents to clear the simulation track before moving to wet labs and live patient cases.

"What makes the simulator so valuable is that you can make mistakes, learn from them, and improve without putting patients at risk," said Sapana-Kosa, a first-year resident. "The repetition and feedback helped me become more confident and better prepared when moving into real surgical settings."

KBTH clinical faculty report that because residents master basic surgical sequences virtually, wet lab instruction has shifted from basic step-teaching to high-level mentoring, and that errors during wet lab sessions have decreased.

The Orbis VR program now spans 22 partner institutions across 9 countries, and has delivered more than 2,700 training sessions and 1,100+ hours of surgical practice to nearly 400 users worldwide.