Oh, what a time to be alive! Neurosurgical training has just taken a giant leap into the future with the advent of a patient-specific, interactive mixed-reality system. Because, you know, nothing says “cutting-edge” like strapping on a HoloLens and playing around with holographic brains. The authors of this study, in a stroke of sheer genius, decided to test this high-tech toy on 40 patients with brain issues, because why not?

They used a bunch of software to turn boring old medical images into super cool 3D models and then—get this—uploaded them to the cloud. Because where else would you put a holographic brain? Trainees could then download these models onto their HoloLens or, for those who prefer a more “retro” approach, an iOS device. Ten lucky neurosurgical residents got to play with this new system, and boy, did they have a blast!

It turns out that playing with virtual brains is not just fun but also super useful. Almost half of the surgeons decided to change their game plan when dealing with neurovascular compression cases after using the system. And for the newbies, those with less experience, the system was like a cheat code, with 75% changing their approach. Even when tackling intracranial tumors, the residents found new and exciting ways to stand and cut, with nearly a third of them adjusting their surgical posture.

But wait, there’s more! The size and location of the holes they planned to drill into patients’ skulls (aka craniotomies) were also influenced by how much time they’d spent playing Surgeon Simulator. Who would have thought?

The authors, in a moment of clairvoyance, predict that this mixed-reality system is going to be the next big thing in neurosurgery. So, brace yourselves, folks. The future is here, and it’s filled with holographic brains and surgeons in augmented reality headsets. What a time to be alive!