Scrubbed, sanitized, and live in 360: Watch first real-time VR broadcast of a surgery

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published July 20, 2016

Some pretty impressive stunts have been broadcast using 360-degree cameras, but on July 28, they’ll offer an unprecedented look inside the operating room by filming what’s believed to be the first surgery broadcast live to the public using 360 technology.

The hernia surgery conducted by Dr. Sharin Towfigh at the 90210 Surgery Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, will be broadcast live on Giblib, an educational platform dedicated to sharing lectures and videos between surgeons, surgical staff and students. The live broadcast will start at 11 a.m. PST on July 28.

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The event will be broadcast via a 360fly 4K, a small consumer virtual reality camera from a Los Angeles startup, with tech from Livit enabling the live broadcast. Viewers will be able to swipe or click around the operating room to check out different perspectives as the surgery is being performed live.

“This live-streaming technique gives viewers the best perspective because you can see the surgeon, patient, and staff all at once,” said Towfigh, the only surgeon on the West Coast dedicated to abdominal wall hernias. The doctor is expected to answer questions live following the procedure.

Earlier in May, Giblib, 360fly, and Livit successfully broadcast another surgery, but the live-stream wasn’t available to the public. While the Giblib platform is designed as a teaching tool, the public can reserve a spot in next Thursday’s live broadcast by registering online. Based on that earlier video, viewers will see very little of the patient, with a surgical curtain protecting the person’s identity — though it’s certainly not a video for the squeamish.

“We are a technology company that wants to improve the way surgeons connect globally and modernize the way surgical information is shared. Partnering with 360fly and Livit made perfect sense for us, enabling us to provide a seamless content creation and sharing platform for real-time, interactive viewing experiences,” said Giblib’s founder and CEO Brian Conyer.

The event even has a sponsor, FIGS, a medical apparel company.

Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

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