Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the main surgical option for the management of large or complex renal stones. A study in the Journal of Urology investigated whether immersive virtual reality (iVR) could improve surgical planning and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing PCNL.

Patients undergoing PCNL (n = 175) were randomly allocated to a CT-only or CT plus iVR group. The iVR models incorporated CT images to enable the surgeon to visualize and manipulate anatomy and to simulate the percutaneous approach to the proposed calyx.