5 Virtual Surgery Games to Learn More About Medical Procedures

There are online virtual surgery websites of different levels of quality, and intended for many different purposes. Some of them are quite graphic, showing actual, real-world surgical procedures in progress, while others are fairly tame, with the process represented in just cartoon-style drawings and diagrams.

Explore the following five websites to get a taste of what is available in the world of online virtual surgery.

virtual Heart Surgery

The virtual heart surgery online app comes from a rather unexpected source - the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. This simulation is surprisingly realistic, despite the fact that it's a cartoon style simulation.


Step-by-Step Heart Surgery


What makes it so realistic is the time-sensitive nature of the game, and the fact that it requires you to pay attention to all factors at the same time, just like in real surgery. Watch the patient's vital signs, follow the correct procedure instructions, and keep a close eye on the advice from your staff, like your anesthetist.


Failure is Not an Option


Failure to do so could lead to mistakes, and ultimately failure as a surgeon. And in the field of surgery - failure is not an option.

Surgery Squad

Surgery Squad is one of the best surgery simulation website online. The goal of the website is ultimately patient education.


Surgeries at Surgery Squad


To meet that goal, the website creators have programmed not one, but multiple virtual surgeries including virtual gastric bypass, virtual tonsillectomy, virtual hair transplant and much more.


You Make the Cut


During the procedures, a Doctor provides you with instructions and advice through audio and by pointing the way with small blue arrows. All you have to do is move your instrument to the correct arrows, click and the cuts are made for you.


Learning About Surgeries


The real goal of these simulations isn't so much to test your steady hand or your reflexes, but to help you work through the medical procedure in a way that is interactive and makes you involved. As you perform the procedure steps that the surgeon would, you learn about the procedure in great detail.

Agame Surgeries

There are certainly plenty of online game sites online these days, and most games offered there are mostly made up of games that have no real purpose other than to pass the time.


Two Surgery Games Available


That is not true at Agame, where you'll find two interesting virtual surgery games to try. One is "Virtual Knee Surgery" and the other is "Arm Surgery 2".


Realistic Knee Surgery


Surprisingly, this simulation was probably the most realistic of all of them, despite the fact that it is found on an online game site. The knee procedure graphics are accurate, and you actually grab and use each of the tools to perform the procedure yourself. And don't worry, in this simulation, you can't mess up. The game only allows you to make the correct moves.

Dynamic Hands-On Science Center

At COSI - the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus Ohio - you'll not only find lots of great real world science exhibits, but you'll also find educational online applications as well. One great example is the online heart surgery simulation that you'll find on the COSI website.


Virtual Heart Surgery


This is less of a virtual simulation than it is a step by step guide that walks you through what takes place during a virtual bypass procedure. Most of the interaction involves clicking "Next" as you finish reading about each step, but there are some steps where you actually need to interact with the animation itself.

Edheads

TeacherVision is one of those educational websites that isn't entirely free, but it does offer a select collection of free resources for educators. If you don't mind sifting through paid resources to get to the free stuff, then this is worth your while.


Lots of Fun Activities


Edheads seeks to offer educational online games that are free, and that promote "science, math and critical thinking". The quality of those free games is clear when you start working through the simulations and virtual surgeries offered at the website.


Perform a Virtual Surgery


The graphics here are also cartoon-quality, but they are high-quality and fairly detailed. You'll understand what you're looking at when you see skin, muscle, blood or bones during the procedure. Just follow the instructions - both text and audio - and you'll do fine.

Be warned, this site offers some fairly realistic sound effects, and there are also surgery photos available at the site that are not for the squeamish.

Whether you're a patient that is getting nervous about an upcoming surgery, or you are a student thinking about getting into the medical profession, these online virtual surgeries can give you a small taste of what it's like to work as a plastic surgeon.