Touch Surgery

Touch Surgery is a mobile surgical education and simulation platform associated with Digital Surgery and owned by Medtronic. Based in London, the brand provides interactive, step-by-step simulations intended to help medical students, surgical trainees and practicing surgeons learn and rehearse procedures virtually. The platform is designed as a cognitive training and preparation tool rather than as a substitute for supervised clinical education or hands-on operating-room experience. The concept was first discussed in 2010. Its central product is a mobile application that presents surgical procedures through interactive visual instructions and simulated decision sequences. The app also enables surgeons to access case videos and related data, extending the platform beyond a static library of educational content. By June 2025, the application contained instructions for approximately 400 procedures across 17 specialties, giving it a broad scope spanning multiple areas of surgical practice. Touch Surgery's educational proposition is based on repeated interaction, visual learning and procedural sequencing. Reference material describes studies in which learners used the app to review procedures, test themselves and improve their performance on knowledge assessments. Research cited for the platform includes work on intramedullary femoral nailing, cardiopulmonary bypass and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In one learning-curve study, mastery of the relevant app-based content was reached after six consecutive repetitions, with participants' examination scores improving to levels comparable with those of surgeons who had validated the assessment. Another study compared app-based preparation with text-based resources for cardiopulmonary bypass and reported a statistically significant advantage for the app group after a 45-minute preparation period. The platform has also been examined through peer-reviewed validation research. More than 30 independent publications are described as having evaluated its approach to virtual surgical training. Construct, content and face validation studies were conducted by research groups working in different specialties and institutions, including orthopaedics in London, plastic surgery at Stanford, oro-maxillofacial surgery at Mount Sinai in New York and general surgery in Heidelberg. These studies addressed whether the simulator could distinguish among experience levels, whether its anatomy and procedural content were accurate, and whether users regarded it as a credible training tool. Touch Surgery expanded beyond individual learning through institutional and technology partnerships. In October 2018, Digital Surgery and Microsoft announced a collaboration focused on mixed-reality applications for Microsoft HoloLens, with the stated objective of supporting safer operations and assisting surgeons during procedures. Digital Surgery became an official Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner in connection with this work. In January 2019, Digital Surgery and the Safe Surgery 2020 initiative introduced the Touch Surgery simulation platform in Tanzania as part of an effort to strengthen surgical capacity in Tanzania and East Africa. The program involved Assist International, local facilities and hospitals including Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Training content was developed for common procedures performed in primary facilities in low-resource settings, including caesarean sections and hysterectomies. The simulations were designed around basic instruments and incorporated the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist. Participating hospitals received app education, in-person and remote mentoring, tablets and practical training resources for continued learning. The brand therefore occupies the intersection of medical education, digital simulation, surgical workflow preparation and global health capacity-building. Its present identity is closely connected with Medtronic's medical technology portfolio, while its…

Touch Surgery emerged from the development of digital tools for surgical education and was first discussed in 2010. Its principal product became a mobile application designed to simulate surgical procedures and present them as interactive, sequential learning experiences. The application was intended to make procedural knowledge easier to review, repeat and assess outside the operating room. It also provided access to surgeons' case videos and data, linking simulation-based learning with clinical case documentation. The platform's development was accompanied by research into whether mobile simulation could provide meaningful educational value. Validation work examined three commonly used dimensions: construct validity, or whether the platform could differentiate users with different levels of experience; content validity, or whether the anatomy, instruments and procedural steps were accurate; and face validity, or whether users considered the tool a credible representation of surgical training. Research groups in orthopaedics, plastic surgery, oro-maxillofacial surgery and general surgery conducted studies in institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. More than 30 independent peer-reviewed publications are cited in connection with the platform. Studies also investigated learning efficiency and knowledge transfer. In work concerning intramedullary femoral nailing, participants repeatedly used the application and completed assessments before and after training. Six consecutive repetitions were associated with mastery of the app content and a significant improvement in examination performance. In a cardiothoracic study involving cardiopulmonary bypass, medical students prepared with either text-based materials or Touch Surgery for 45 minutes. The reported post-intervention results favored the app group. A separate randomized controlled study examined the transfer of cognitive training from Touch Surgery to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and reported that the application was effective for this form of preparation among medical students. The brand broadened its ambitions in 2018 through work with Microsoft. Digital Surgery and Microsoft announced a partnership to develop mixed-reality programs for Microsoft HoloLens. The initiative positioned Touch Surgery-related technology not only as a revision and training application, but also as part of a wider effort to use digital visualization and mixed reality in support of safer surgical practice. In 2019, Touch Surgery was used in a global-health training initiative. Safe Surgery 2020 and Digital Surgery launched the simulation platform in Tanzania to help build surgical capacity in Tanzania and East Africa. Assist International, local healthcare facilities and hospitals including Kijabe Hospital in Kenya collaborated on simulations for common procedures in primary facilities, including caesarean sections and hysterectomies. The content was adapted to low-resource environments and basic instruments, and it incorporated the WHO surgical safety checklist. Participating facilities received app instruction, practical tools, tablets and a combination of in-person and tele-mentoring support. Touch Surgery is now described as a Medtronic-owned health technology app. By June 2025, its library covered about 400 procedures across 17 specialties. Its history reflects a progression from mobile procedural visualization to a broader digital surgery platform combining simulation, research validation, mixed reality, clinical information and capacity-building programs.

• 2025

  Application library reaches approximately 400 procedures

  [1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  As of June 2025, the app included instructions for approximately 400 procedures across 17 surgical specialties.

• 2019

  Safe Surgery 2020 deployment in Tanzania

  [1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  Touch Surgery simulation training was introduced in Tanzania through a Safe Surgery 2020 collaboration focused on strengthening surgical capacity in East Africa.

• 2018

  Microsoft mixed-reality partnership announced

  [1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  Digital Surgery and Microsoft announced work involving Microsoft HoloLens and mixed-reality applications intended to contribute to safer surgery.

• 2010

  Touch Surgery concept first discussed

  [1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  The Touch Surgery concept was first discussed as a digital approach to surgical education and procedural simulation.

A visual, mobile-first surgical training platform that supplements conventional medical education through interactive procedure simulations, repetition, assessment and access to surgical case information.

• Mobile surgical education and simulation

  Touch Surgery mobile application

  The core Touch Surgery product is a mobile platform that simulates surgical procedures through interactive, step-by-step instruction. It is designed for procedural review, virtual rehearsal and knowledge assessment by medical students, trainees and surgeons. The application also allows surgeons to access case videos and data. By June 2025, its content library covered approximately 400 procedures in 17 specialties.

• Institutional and global-health training · 2019

  Touch Surgery simulation training platform

  This deployment-oriented version of the platform supports structured training programs for healthcare facilities and surgical teams. In the Safe Surgery 2020 initiative, simulations were adapted for common procedures in low-resource settings, designed around basic instruments and combined with the WHO surgical safety checklist, mentoring and tablet-based continuous learning.

• Mixed reality · 2018

  Touch Surgery mixed-reality applications

  Through the 2018 Microsoft partnership, Digital Surgery worked on applications for Microsoft HoloLens. These programs extended the brand's educational and visualization capabilities into mixed reality, with an intended connection to safer surgical practice and support for surgeons during operations.

• 2019Safe Surgery 2020

  Tanzania · Kenya · East Africa

  Digital Surgery and Safe Surgery 2020 used Touch Surgery simulations to support surgical-worker training in Tanzania and East Africa. Assist International and local facilities, including Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, contributed to the development and delivery of training for procedures such as caesarean sections and hysterectomies.

  Outcome. Participating facilities received simulation education, in-person and tele-mentoring, tablets and practical tools for ongoing learning. The training also integrated the WHO surgical safety checklist.

  Source

• 2019

  Adapt simulation training for low-resource surgical settingsStrategy

  Background

  Safe Surgery 2020 and its partners sought to improve access to safe, affordable surgery and strengthen the capabilities of surgical teams in low-resource environments.

  Action taken

  Touch Surgery simulations were adapted for common procedures performed in primary facilities, using basic instruments and incorporating the WHO surgical safety checklist.

  Aftermath

  The platform was deployed through hospitals and health facilities in Tanzania and East Africa with mentoring, tablets and continuing-education support.

  Source

• 2018

  Expand into mixed-reality surgical applicationsStrategy

  Background

  Digital Surgery sought to extend digital surgical education and visualization beyond mobile simulation through mixed-reality technology.

  Action taken

  The company partnered with Microsoft and became an official Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner, developing applications for Microsoft HoloLens.

  Aftermath

  The partnership broadened the platform's technology scope toward mixed-reality support for surgical training and safer operations.

  Source

• 2025

  Touch Surgery app reaches approximately 400 procedures across 17 specialties[1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  By June 2025, the mobile application was described as containing surgical instructions for approximately 400 procedures in 17 specialties.

• 2019

  Touch Surgery simulation platform launched through Safe Surgery 2020 in Tanzania[1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  Digital Surgery and Safe Surgery 2020 introduced Touch Surgery simulation training in Tanzania to support surgical-worker education in Tanzania and East Africa, including training for procedures relevant to low-resource facilities.

• 2018

  Digital Surgery and Microsoft announce mixed-reality partnership[1]Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Digital Surgery and Microsoft announced a partnership to develop mixed-reality applications for Microsoft HoloLens, with the goal of supporting safer surgery and assisting surgeons in clinical settings.

1. 1Touch Surgeryen.wikipedia.org