SurgerWii – How The Wii Helps Surgeons

The Wii pretty much changed gaming in many aspects, but now it is helping Laparoscopic surgeons train and hone their skills. A study done by a medical research group found that time spent playing Marble Mania on the Wii can improve laparoscopic surgeons abilities. They took 21 right handed general surgery residents, 14 of which played every level of Marble Mania four times in random order, with a Wiimote attached to a actuated arm to mimic a Laparoscopic instrument. The seven remaining surgeons had no time on the Wii. After the levels were completed all twenty one test subjects then performed an electro cautery task on a professional Laparoscopic training simulator. The result was that the residents with time on the Wii performed with a considerable amount of more accuracy and with fewer mistakes than those with no time on the Wii. It really is great to see video games doing some indisputable good.