Using Apple Vision Pro to Transform Endometriosis Surgery Visualization

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has become the first NHS Trust to deploy augmented reality (AR) technology to help women better understand and prepare for endometriosis surgery. By integrating the Apple Vision Pro headset with specialized software, the hospital is transforming how clinicians explain complex diagnoses and surgical plans, moving beyond traditional explanations to provide anatomically precise 3D visualizations.

A New Era of Patient Communication in Women’s Health

Explaining the intricacies of internal anatomy and the progression of disease can be a significant challenge during medical consultations. To bridge this gap, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital partnered with Medical iSight to implement a cutting-edge visualization tool. This collaboration allows patients to move from passive listening to active exploration of their own health conditions.

Using the XRAIconnect platform on the Apple Vision Pro, patients can view large-scale, interactive 3D models of their internal organs. This technology is designed to make complex medical information feel approachable, reducing patient uncertainty and supporting more confident, informed decision-making before they enter the operating room.

How the AR Visualization Process Works

The technology is now introduced as standard practice during pre-surgery consultations. The process creates a synchronized experience between the patient and the clinician:

• Patient Experience: Whereas wearing the Apple Vision Pro, patients explore a spatial representation of their anatomy. They can view cross-sections and isolate specific organs to see exactly where inflammation and scar tissue are located.
• Clinician Interaction: Simultaneously, clinicians interact with the same 3D model from a computer. They can highlight, enlarge, and manipulate specific regions in real-time to illustrate the structural changes caused by the disease.
• Surgical Planning: This dual-view approach allows surgeons to show patients precisely which areas of endometriosis will be excised during the procedure, providing a level of clarity that traditional 2D imaging or verbal descriptions cannot match.

Targeting Complex Women’s Health Conditions

While the tool is a breakthrough for endometriosis care, its application extends to several complex women’s health conditions. According to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the technology is specifically intended to improve understanding of:

• Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis: Visualizing how endometrial-like tissue has invaded deep into the pelvic organs.
• Endometrioma: Helping patients understand ovarian cysts caused by endometriosis.
• Uterine Fibroids: Illustrating the location and impact of noncancerous growths in the uterus.

Development and Funding

The project was first piloted in 2025 before becoming a standard part of clinical consultations. Its implementation was made possible through the financial support of the Trust’s official charity, CW+, and the Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Additional support came from the CW Innovation Fellowship programme, a 12-month initiative managed by CW Innovation and delivered by DigitalHealth, highlighting a commitment to integrating medical technology into patient-facing care.

The Future of Surgical Consultations

The shift toward using Extended Reality (XR) in patient communication marks a significant departure from previous medical uses of the Apple Vision Pro, which primarily focused on assisting surgeons during the operation itself. By moving this technology into the consultation room, the NHS is prioritizing patient literacy and psychological readiness.

As this tool becomes standard practice, it sets a precedent for how augmented reality can be used to demystify complex surgeries, potentially reducing patient anxiety and improving the overall surgical experience for women across the healthcare system.