Preview

Pacific Medical Journal

Advanced search

Augmented reality technologies in abdominal surgery, their clinical significance and current role: A literature review

https://doi.org/10.34215/1609-1175-2026-1-5-13

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) technologies present a promising approach to modern abdominal surgery as they provide virtual, 3D models of anatomical structures overlaid on the actual surgical field. A literature review of the past five years revealed significant advances in using AR in liver and pancreatic surgeries due to its effectiveness in reducing intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion frequency, and hospital stay length. Clinical studies confirm not only the safety of the method, but also its potential to increase the extent of oncological resections. Technical limitations and the need for standardization notwithstanding, augmented reality shows great promise in improving intraoperative navigation, reducing cognitive load on surgeons, and enhancing the precision of complex surgical procedures. The further development of AR technology involves integration with artificial intelligence and robotic systems.

About the Author

I. A. Shamanov
North Caucasian State Academy
Russian Federation

Ibragim A. Shamanov - Cand. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Diseases, North Caucasian Academy.

36 Stavropolskaya str., Cherkessk, 369001



References

1. Ramalhinho J, Yoo S, Dowrick T, Koo B, Somasundaram M, Gurusamy K, Hawkes DJ, Davidson B, Blandford A, Clarkson MJ. The value of augmented reality in surgery – A usability study on laparoscopic liver surgery. Med Image Anal. 2023;90:102943. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2023.102943

2. Demin DB. Initial experience of the augmented reality technology in laparoscopic adrenal surgery. Endoscopic Surgery. 2024;30(1):51–54 (In Russ.). doi: 10.17116/endoskop20243001151

3. Wang P, Wang S, Luo P. Evaluation of the effectiveness of preoperative 3D reconstruction combined with intraoperative augmented reality fluorescence guidance system in laparoscopic liver surgery: A retrospective cohort study. BMC Surg. 2025 Jul 4;25(1):288. doi: 10.1186/s12893-025-02989-4

4. Shen Y, Wang S, Shen Y, Hu J. The application of augmented reality technology in perioperative visual guidance: Technological advances and innovation challenges. Sensors. 2024;24(22):7363. doi: 10.3390/s24227363

5. Oh MY, Yoon KC, Kong HJ, Jang T, Choi Y, Kim J, Kim JY, Choi Y, Chai YJ. Leveraging augmented reality for dynamic guidance in 3-dimensional laparoscopic and robotic liver surgery: A prospective case series study. Ann Surg Treat Res. 2025;109(1):44–52. doi: 10.4174/astr.2025.109.1.44

6. Bertrand LR, Abdallah M, Espinel Y, Calvet L, Pereira B, Ozgur E, Pezet D, Buc E, Bartoli A. A case series study of augmented reality in laparoscopic liver resection with a deformable preoperative model. Surg Endosc. 2020;34(12):5642–5648. doi: 10.1007/s00464-020-07815-x

7. Zhang W, Zhu W, Yang J, Xiang N, Zeng N, Hu H, Jia F, Fang C. augmented reality navigation for stereoscopic laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy of primary liver cancer: preliminary experience. Front Oncol. 2021;11:663236. Published 2021 Mar 25. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.663236

8. Malhotra S, Halabi O, Dakua SP, Padhan J, Paul S, Palliyali W. Augmented reality in surgical navigation: a review of evaluation and validation metrics. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(3):1629. doi: 10.3390/app13031629

9. Zhao Z, Poyhonen J, Chen Cai X, Sophie Woodley Hooper F, Ma Y, Hu Y, Ren H, Song W, Tsz Ho Tse Z. Augmented reality technology in image-guided therapy: State-of-the-art review. Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2021;235(12):1386–1398. doi: 10.1177/09544119211034357

10. Brockmeyer P, Wiechens B, Schliephake H. The role of augmented reality in the advancement of minimally invasive surgery procedures: a scoping review. Bioengineering (Basel). 2023;10(4):501. Published 2023 Apr 21. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering10040501

11. Ribeiro M, Espinel Y, Rabbani N, Pereira B, Bartoli A, Buc E. Augmented Reality guided laparoscopic liver resection: a phantom study with intraparenchymal tumors. J Surg Res. 2024;296:612–620. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.12.014

12. Kasai M, Uchiyama H, Aihara T, Ikuta S, Yamanaka N. Laparoscopic projection mapping of the liver portal segment, based on augmented reality combined with Artificial Intelligence, for laparoscopic anatomical liver resection. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e48450. Published 2023 Nov 7. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48450

13. Zhu W, Zeng X, Hu H, Xiang N, Zeng N, Wen S, Tian J, Yang J, Fang C. Perioperative and disease-free survival outcomes after hepatectomy for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma guided by augmented reality and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging: a single-center experience. J Am Coll Surg. 2023;236(2):328–337. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000472

14. Martinet-Kosinski F, Le Roy B, Lopez YE, Bartoli A, Buc E. Improved tumour localisation during minimally invasive liver surgery using augmented reality: a retrospective study with propensity score analysis. Surg Endosc. 2025;39(8):5027–5034. doi: 10.1007/s00464-025-11672-x

15. Golse N, Petit A, Lewin M, Vibert E, Cotin S. Augmented reality during open liver surgery using a markerless non-rigid registration system. J Gastrointest Surg. 2021;25(3):662–671. doi: 10.1007/s11605-020-04519-4

16. Tao H, Wang Z, Zeng X, Hu H, Li J, Lin J, Lin W, Fang C, Yang J. Augmented Reality navigation plus indocyanine green fluorescence imaging can accurately guide laparoscopic anatomical segment 8 resection. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023;30(12):7373–7383. doi: 10.1245/s10434-023-14126-7

17. Deng H, Zeng X, Xiang N. Augmented Reality navigation system and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging make laparoscopic right anterior sectionectomy more precisely and safely. J Gastrointest Surg. 2023;27(8):1751–1752. doi: 10.1007/s11605-023-05680-2

18. Wu X, Wang D, Xiang N, Pan M, Jia F, Yang J, Fang C. Augmented reality-assisted navigation system contributes to better intraoperative and short-time outcomes of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Surg. 2023;109(9):2598–2607. Published 2023 Sep 1. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000536

19. Javaheri H, Ghamarnejad O, Bade R, Lukowicz P, Karolus J, Stavrou GA. Beyond the visible: preliminary evaluation of the first wearable augmented reality assistance system for pancreatic surgery. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2025;20(1):117-129. doi:10.1007/s11548-024-03131-0

20. Templin R, Tabriz N, Hoffmann M, Uslar VN, Lück T, Schenk A, Malaka R, Zachmann G, Kluge A, Weyhe D. Case report: Virtual and interactive 3D vascular reconstruction before planned pancreatic head resection and complex vascular anatomy: A bench-to-bedside transfer of new visualization techniques in pancreatic surgery. Front Surg. 2020;7:38. Published 2020 Jun 18. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2020.00038

21. Cremades Pérez M, Espin Álvarez F, Pardo Aranda F, Navinés López J, Vidal Piñeiro L, Zarate Pinedo A, Piquera Hinojo AM, Sentí Farrarons S, Cugat Andorra E. Augmented reality in hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery: a technology at your fingertips. Cir Esp (Engl Ed). 2023;101(5):312–318. doi: 10.1016/j.cireng.2023.02.004

22. Prasad K, Fassler C, Miller A, Aweeda M, Pruthi S, Fusco JC, Daniel B, Miga M, Wu JY, Topf MC. More than meets the eye: Augmented reality in surgical oncology. J Surg Oncol. 2024;130(3):405–418. doi: 10.1002/jso.27790

23. Roussel E, Pinson J, Duhamel L, Martre P, Kerdelhué G, Tuech JJ, Schwarz L. Value of 3D reconstructions in pancreatic surgery: Current status. J Visc Surg. Published online October 21, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.jviscsurg.2025.09.011

24. Laga Boul-Atarass I, Cepeda Franco C, Sanmartín Sierra JD, Castell Monsalve J, Padillo Ruiz J. Virtual 3D models, augmented reality systems and virtual laparoscopic simulations in complicated pancreatic surgeries: state of art, future perspectives, and challenges. Int J Surg. 2025;111(3):2613–2623. Published 2025 Mar 1. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000002231

25. Svyatnenko AV, Demko AE, Surov DA, Batig EV, Sizonenko NA, Martynova GV, Esayan IL. The first experience of using augmented reality (AR) technology in reconstructive surgery of the bile ducts. Bulletin of Pirogov National Medical & Surgical Center. 2024;19(2):159–163(InRuss.).doi:10.25881/20728255_2024_19_2_159

26. Kitagawa M, Sugimoto M, Haruta H, Umezawa A, Kurokawa Y. Intraoperative holography navigation using a mixed-reality wearable computer during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Surgery. 2022;171(4):1006–1013. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.10.004

27. Pardo F, Vidal L, Cremades M, Cugat E. Robotic cholecystectomy and transcystic common bile duct exploration with augmented reality glasses and indocyanine green in a patient with a cystic duct cyst. Cir Esp (Engl Ed). 2023;101(8):562–563. doi: 10.1016/j.cireng.2022.11.002

28. Wild C, Lang F, Gerhäuser AS, Schmidt MW, Kowalewski KF, Petersen J, Kenngott HG, Müller-Stich BP, Nickel F. Telestration with augmented reality for visual presentation of intraoperative target structures in minimally invasive surgery: a randomized controlled study. Surg Endosc. 2022;36(10):7453–7461. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09158-1

29. Barcali E, Iadanza E, Manetti L, Francia P, Nardi C, Bocchi L. Augmented Reality in Surgery: A Scoping Review. Applied Sciences. 2022;12(14):6890. doi: 10.3390/app12146890

30. Heiliger C, Heiliger T, Deodati A, Winkler A, Grimm M, Kalim F, Esteban J, Mihatsch L, Hiendl L, Andrade D, Frank A, Jacob S, Mohamed KA, Solyanik O, Mandal S, Werner J, Eck U, Navab N, Karcz K. Phantom study on surgical performance in augmented reality laparoscopy. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2023;18(8):1345–1354. doi: 10.1007/s11548-022-02809-7

31. Metzger R, Suppa P, Li Z, Vemuri A. Augmented reality navigation systems in endoscopy. Front Gastroenterol. 2024;3:1345466. doi: 10.3389/fgstr.2024.1345466

32. Broderick RC, Spurzem GJ, Jeffery Reeves J, Hollandsworth HM, Sandler BJ, Jacobsen GR, Longhurst CA, Horgan S. First use of augmented reality headset in minimally invasive general surgery: seeing is believing. Surg Endosc. 2025;39(9):6055–6060. doi: 10.1007/s00464-025-11985-x

33. Ryu S, Kitagawa T, Goto K, Okamoto A, Marukuchi R, Hara K, Ito R, Nakabayashi Y. Intraoperative holographic guidance using virtual reality and mixed reality technology during laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Anticancer Res. 2022;42(10):4849–4856. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.15990

34. Bracale U, Iacone B, Tedesco A, Gargiulo A, Di Nuzzo MM, Sannino D, Tramontano S, Corcione F. The use of mixed reality in the preoperative planning of colorectal surgery: Preliminary experience with a narrative review. Cir Esp (Engl Ed). 2024;102 Suppl 1:S36–S44. doi: 10.1016/j.cireng.2024.01.006

35. Richter A, Steinmann T, Rosenthal JC, Rupitsch SJ. Advances in real-time 3D reconstruction for medical endoscopy. J Imaging. 2024;10(5):120. Published 2024 May 14. doi: 10.3390/jimaging10050120

36. Doughty M, Ghugre NR, Wright GA. Augmenting performance: A systematic review of optical see-through head-mounted displays in surgery. Journal of Imaging. 2022;8(7):203. doi: 10.3390/jimaging8070203

37. Sang AY, Wang X, Paxton L. Technological advancements in augmented, mixed, and virtual reality technologies for surgery: A systematic review. Cureus. 2024;16(12):e76428. Published 2024 Dec 26. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76428

38. Ramalhinho J, Bulathsinhala S, Gurusamy K, Davidson BR, Clarkson MJ. Assessing augmented reality displays in laparoscopic liver surgery – a clinical experience. Surg Endosc. 2025;39(9):5863–5871. doi: 10.1007/s00464-025-12008-5

39. Tătaru OS, Ferro M, Marchioni M, Veccia A, Coman O, Lasorsa F, Brescia A, Crocetto F, Barone B, Catellani M, Lazar A, Petrisor M, Vartolomei MD, Lucarelli G, Antonelli A, Schips L, Autorino R, Rocco B, Azamfirei L. HoloLens® platform for healthcare professionals simulation training, teaching, and its urological applications: an up-to-date review. Ther Adv Urol. 2024;16:17562872241297554. Published 2024 Dec 8. doi: 10.1177/17562872241297554

40. Espinel Y, Rabbani N, Bui TB, Ribeiro M, Buc E, Bartoli A. Keyhole-aware laparoscopic augmented reality. Med Image Anal. 2024;94:103161. doi: 10.1016/j.media.2024.103161

41. Wang D, Hu H, Zhang Y, Wu X, Zeng X, Yang J, Fang C. Efficacy of augmented reality combined with indocyanine green fluorescence imaging guided laparoscopic segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Am Coll Surg. 2024;238(3):321–330. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000912

42. Sheriff NJ, Thomas M, Bunck AC, Peterhans M, Datta RR, Hellmich M, Bruns CJ, Stippel DL, Wahba R. Registration accuracy comparing different rendering techniques on local vs external virtual 3D liver model reconstruction for vascular landmark setting by intraoperative ultrasound in augmented reality navigated liver resection. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2024;409(1):268. Published 2024 Sep 3. doi: 10.1007/s00423-024-03456-z

43. Teatini A, Pérez de Frutos J, Eigl B, Pelanis E, Aghayan DL, Lai M, Kumar RP, Palomar R, Edwin B, Elle OJ. Influence of sampling accuracy on augmented reality for laparoscopic image-guided surgery. Minim Invasive Ther Allied Technol. 2021;30(4):229–238. doi: 10.1080/13645706.2020.1727524

44. Teatini A, Pelanis E, Aghayan DL, Kumar RP, Palomar R, Fretland ÅA, Edwin B, Elle OJ. The effect of intraoperative imaging on surgical navigation for laparoscopic liver resection surgery. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):18687. Published 2019 Dec 10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54915-3

45. Wang E, Liu Y, Tu P, Taylor ZA, Chen X. Video-Based Soft Tissue Deformation Tracking for Laparoscopic Augmented Reality-Based Navigation in Kidney Surgery. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2024;43(12):4161–4173. doi: 10.1109/TMI.2024.3413537

46. Doornbos MJ, Peek JJ, Maat APWM, Ruurda JP, De Backer P, CornelissenBMW, Mahtab EAF, Sadeghi AH, KluinJ. Augmented Reality Implementation in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Future Application in Pulmonary Surgery: A Systematic Review. Surg Innov. 2024;31(6):646–658. doi: 10.1177/15533506241290412

47. Yang S, Wang Y, Ai D, Geng H, Zhang D, Xiao D, Song H, Li M, Yang J. Augmented reality navigation system for biliary interventional procedures with dynamic respiratory motion correction. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2024;71(2):700–711. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2023.3316290

48. Göbel B, Reiterer A, Möller K. Image-based 3D reconstruction in laparoscopy: A review focusing on the quantitative evaluation by applying the reconstruction error. Journal of Imaging. 2024;10(8):180. doi: 10.3390/jimaging10080180

49. Javaheri H, Ghamarnejad O, Widyaningsih R, Bade R, Lukowicz P, Karolus J, Stavrou GA. Enhancing perioperative outcomes of pancreatic surgery with wearable augmented reality assistance system: A matched-pair analysis. Ann Surg Open. 2024;5(4):e516. Published 2024 Nov 5. doi: 10.1097/AS9.0000000000000516

50. Roman J, Sengul I, Němec M, Sengul D, Penhaker M, Strakoš P, Vávra P, Hrubovčák J, Pelikán A. Augmented and mixed reality in liver surgery: a comprehensive narrative review of novel clinical implications on cohort studies. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025;71(6):e20250315. Published 2025 Jul 7. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20250315


Review

For citations:


Shamanov I.A. Augmented reality technologies in abdominal surgery, their clinical significance and current role: A literature review. Pacific Medical Journal. 2026;(1):5-13. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34215/1609-1175-2026-1-5-13

Views: 278

JATS XML


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 1609-1175 (Print)