Broward Health First U.S. Hospital System Using Innovative VirtaMed Laparoscopic Simulator

The next-generation mixed reality simulator offers resident doctors unparalleled simulated training for complex surgeries

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Broward Health Medical Center, home to the Broward Health Graduate Medical Education Simulation Lab in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has become the first United States medical institution to receive the VirtaMed LaparoS™ surgical training simulator. This mixed reality laparoscopic simulator provides resident doctors with a simulated environment to prepare for clinical practice safely and efficiently.

Broward Health will use the LaparoS for general surgery training with an emphasis on patient safety. First installed in June 2021, the LaparoS has left an impression on residents and professors alike.

“We chose the LaparoS because it offers our residents a more realistic simulation of what they will encounter in the operating room,” said Dr. Ivan Puente, General Surgery Program Director at Broward Health Medical Center. “We feel very strongly that this will not only enhance their skill development but also contribute to patient safety.”

The LaparoS training simulator is from VirtaMed, the world leader in medical simulation training. In contrast to other forms of medical training with simulators, LaparoS training modules capture the whole procedural preparation, including positioning of the patient and placement of tools.

The simulator offers real-time learning in the form of haptic feedback, complication training and guided procedures.

“Simulation is a great way to enhance medical skills,” says Kimberly Mazili, Business Development Manager for VirtaMed. “Broward Hospital Medical Center has already had years of success with our orthopedics simulator. It was a logical step for Broward to be the first to get our new LaparoS so they could extend the capacity of their simulation center and their residency programs.”

Providing comprehensive training with medical simulation technology

Broward Health has a long history of using simulation to train its next generation of surgeons. Medical students at Broward Health Medical Center have access to a medical skills simulation lab with a variety of simulators, including the VirtaMed ArthroS™ simulator for arthroscopic skills training. The addition of the LaparoS expands the resources available for skills development in a risk-free training environment.

In the spirit of advancing medical education, Broward Health Medical Center hosted a VirtaMedEd training day for residents in general surgery, orthopedics and gynecology. Using simulators supplied by Broward Health’s Simulation Center and VirtaMed, the training day provided residents with an opportunity to practice instrument usage and specific procedures in a risk-free training environment.

For more information on simulation training for laparoscopic procedures, visit https://www.virtamed.com/laparos.

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About Broward Health

Broward Health, providing service for more than 80 years, is a nationally recognized system in South Florida that offers world-class healthcare to all. The Broward Health system includes the statutory teaching hospital Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Health North, Broward Health Imperial Point, Broward Health Coral Springs, Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital, Broward Health Weston, Broward Health Community Health Services, Broward Health Physician Group, Broward Health Urgent Care, Broward Health International, and Broward Health Foundation. For more information, visit BrowardHealth.org.

About VirtaMed

VirtaMed believes medical education is powerfully delivered through data-driven simulation solutions. Since 2007, we have developed the leading solutions for training outside the operating room because we believe healthcare professionals should never have to perform a procedure for the first time on a patient. VirtaMed’s simulators provide the most realistic and cost-effective training available for laparoscopic surgeons.