Using Advanced Surgical VR Technology, Ghost Productions Assists Spineology With Sales Training

    MAPLEWOOD, MN, May 03, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ghost Productions, an industry-leading firm operating in the fields of medical animation and virtual reality (VR) has successfully partnered with Spineology to provide advanced VR training to sales representatives for its new OptiLIF® spinal fixation procedure.

This spinal fixation procedure from Spineology recently received final FDA approval. It is designed to provide better overall patient outcomes, as the medical device used to fuse the spine can be implanted through a smaller incision than any other interbody fusion system, about one centimeter in diameter.

Spinal fixation has been in use for decades and is a useful way to protect nerves and other spinal structures from damage, injury, and degeneration, particularly due to fractures, deformities, and degenerative disorders like spondylolisthesis.

However, the invasiveness of the procedure is the primary drawback of spinal fixation. The procedure requires major surgery to the spine, and often includes a long recovery period, and the need to take narcotic pain medications as the spine and surgical site heal.

That's the problem that Spineology has set out to solve with its recently-approved OptiLIF® procedure and OptiMesh® spinal fixation devices.

The key to the OptiLIF® procedure is the Spineology OptiMesh® system. This unique mesh device expands in three dimensions after surgical placement, allowing the interbody fusion procedure to be performed through an extremely small incision. In turn, this allows for better overall patient outcomes, with a 98% fusion rate at 24 months, and excellent overall satisfaction results from patient surveys.

Throughout the clinical trial process of OptiLIF® and OptiMesh®, it was found that the use of this product from Spineology reduced the overall length of hospital stays, contributed to higher satisfaction scores post-operation, and facilitated a more rapid return to work, along with a reduction in the use of narcotic pain medication over time.

To prepare for the official launch of the Optimesh® device and OptiLIF® procedure in Q1 2021, Spineology partnered with Ghost Productions for assistance in training their sales representatives. Spineology wished to provide an in-depth education for sales reps to ensure they fully understood the device, its benefits, and how it works during a surgical procedure.

"It can be challenging to fully explain the benefits of a particular medical procedure without hands-on experience about how the surgery and the medical devices involved actually work," said Stephan Kuslich, Founder of Ghost Productions and Head of VR. "That's exactly what we do, and in our partnership with Spineology, we created a custom virtual reality simulation that would provide sales representatives with all of the details they would need to market the innovative OptiMesh® system."

To assist in training sales representatives from Spineology, Ghost Productions created a fully-interactive, 3D VR simulation of the OptiLIF® procedure and Optimesh® device, which was presented at an event for Spineology sales representatives, and provided them with the chance to experience the surgical procedure in full, and examine the benefits of the OptiLIF® procedure in further detail.

In order to ensure ease-of-access and ease-of-use while training sales representatives, Ghost Productions made use of the Oculus Quest 2 standalone VR headset, and developed a 3D VR experience that could run exclusively on the Quest 2 hardware – with no need for additional computers.

"The standalone nature of the simulation makes it easier to present to salespeople for training, and streamlines the setup procedure," said Stephan Kuslich. "It was very important for the process to be as simple as possible. Our 3D VR simulation can be set up in just a few minutes, with no need for any other equipment or hardware."

The 3D VR program from Ghost Productions was first tested at a recent training event by Spineology, where it received positive reviews from salespeople who were able to gain insights into exactly how the OptiLIF® procedure and the Optimesh® device work.

Each Oculus Quest VR headset is loaded with the VR program developed by Ghost Productions. This program takes the user step-by-step through the entire surgical procedure in a simulated VR environment, simulating every step of the real-world surgical process to ensure salespeople come away from the experience with a better understanding of the advantages of the OptiLIF® procedure for spinal fixation.

"There's no better way to learn than to experience the entire process of spinal fixation from end-to-end," said founder and Head of VR Stephan Kuslich. "We specialize in medical education, animation, and VR for medical companies. Our services are ideal for situations where traditional training materials like data sheets, presentation, and workshops just aren't sufficient for creating proper product understanding. So when we were contacted by Spineology, we knew that we had the right tools and skills for the job."

Sales representatives trained using the 3D VR surgical program developed by Ghost Productions reported a better overall understanding of how the surgery works, as well as the benefits it offers over traditional spinal fixation devices.

Together, Ghost Productions and Spineology have trained hundreds of new sales representatives, who have hands-on, real-world experience in how OptiLIF® and Optimesh® work, and will be able to partner with medical providers to market and sell these newly-approved devices – and improve overall patient outcomes for those who need spinal fixation surgery.

For more information about Ghost Productions, press inquiries may be directed by phone to (651) 633-1163, or sent online at https://ghostproductions.com/contact/.

For more information about Spineology, OptiLIF®, and Optimesh®, press inquiries may be directed by phone to 888-377-4633.

About Ghost Productions: Ghost Productions is headquartered in Maplewood, MN. This leading VR and animation studio is focused on providing cutting-edge services for medical service providers, such as medical animation, 3D modeling, 3D medical illustrations, VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) training, and other cutting-edge interactive training services.

First founded in 1994, Ghost Productions has developed a reputation for excellence in serving medical companies throughout Minnesota and nationwide. Its current and past clients include 3M, Spineology, Boston Children's Hospital, Abbott Laboratories, and Baxter, to name just a few.

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