If you thought the Apple Vision Pro was just a convenient way to watch immersive movies or extend the display on your MacBook, you're wrong A team of British surgeons used Apple's $3,500 headset for actual spinal surgery Yes, really

Now, let me preface this by saying that this does not mean that the actual surgeons wore Vision Pro headsets on their faces during surgery Instead, they were worn by the surgical assistant scrub nurse to access the surgical setup and procedure guides from the sterile area of the operating room

On reflection, this is indeed a sensible thing to do I am not a doctor, but I have seen entire episodes of "House MD" Having someone right next to the surgeon with easy access to vast amounts of medical data could be a game changer The Apple Vision Pro boasts a pretty decent video pass-through, and since the wearer doesn't need to hold anything like a controller, scrub nurses could also materially help if called upon

The surgeries in question were two microspinal operations performed at Cromwell Hospital in London, England The hospital partnered with eXeX, a technology platform that uses artificial intelligence and spatial computing to organize surgeries and optimize workflow

eXeX's software works with Vision Pro to provide nurses and technicians with "previously unavailable data and visualization"

According to Syed Aftab, a consultant orthopedic spine surgeon, spatial computing technology "makes a huge difference in how care is delivered to patients"

He explains: "The software is seamless and improves efficiency within complex spine teams Being the first team in the UK and Europe to use this software in surgery is a real privilege and I look forward to seeing how this technology advances and what impact it can have across UK hospitals"

Of course, those with older memories will note that Apple is not the first to place AR devices inside operating rooms The forgotten Microsoft HoloLens 2 is also being utilized in the medical field According to the National Library of Medicine, Microsoft headsets have been deployed "in a variety of applications, including medical and surgical aids and systems, medical education and simulation, architecture and several engineering disciplines"