The Brief

Training costs and risks of surgery can be a extremely high, and this is especially true when operating on the heart. We recreated a realistic and immersive operating room environment at a fraction of the cost of high-end simulators. To help first time surgeons become more familiar with the terminology and processes.

Our Approach

Individual attitudes and behaviours lie at the core of the most significant challenges facing our healthcare system today. Simply telling people what they should do is not helping to stern the oncoming wave of obesity, chronic diseases and avoidable ill health. We need more sophisticated solutions that tap into peoples’ inner motivations.

At PlayGen Health we combine scientific research with tried and tested interactive methods to deliver innovative solutions for changing health-related behaviours. Solutions that really work.

What we did

This simulator puts players in the shoes of a young surgeon called in to perform coronary artery bypass surgery on a middle age male. Lead through each step by a virtual doctor, instructions are given to players as they progress through the operation – however, one wrong choice could be fatal!

The end score reflects how well players followed the surgical procedures and how successful the operation was.

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is one of the ‘Serious Games Squared’ series – designed to demonstrate the benefits of Serious Games across different sectors.

The benefits

  • Realistic and immersive environment makes transfer of knowledge more effective.
  • Supports professionals to experiment and practice new skills in a safe environment, cutting the risks associated with medical training.
  • Increases awareness of the risks associated with different decisions and situations – improving safety and cutting avoidable error.
  • The success of many healthcare procedures depends on practice and experience – simulations enable you to test yourself constantly and monitor progress.
  • Cost-effective way to train the workforce with accessibility to large number of students
  • Supports patient self-care through opportunities to learn about how to administer treatments and control medical conditions.
  • Influence attitudes and behaviours by raising awareness of the potential cost of bad diets and damaging lifestyles.