Raimundo Sierra is the Founder and CEO from VirtaMed, a Swiss company specialized in surgical simulation systems, covering interventions in orthopaedics, gynecology, laparoscopy and urology, providing true-to-life training for aspiring surgeons and established ones, as part of their continuing education.
 

At the edge of robotics and gaming, Raimundo takes us through the origins of this extremely ambitious project, explaining how the first systems from VirtaMed were developed, and how they currently fit in the diverse surgical curricula provided by established institutions in Europe, China and the US.
 

Beyond the volume of training that such platforms can offer and the positive repercussions in terms of operative results, they also provide equitable access to surgical training, a point that is particularly close to Raimundo's heart given his personal experience.

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Timeline:

• 01:36 - Raimundo’s background and what led him to the world of surgical simulation systems

• 07:33 - The origins of VirtaMed and what differentiates its solutions from medical devices

• 11:24 - How surgical simulation systems are integrated to medical curricula

• 16:16 - The components of VirtaMed surgical simulation systems

• 20:38 - VirtaMed’s global footprint and driving adoption of its products

• 24:58 - The potential of emerging technologies like machine learning in the field of surgical simulation

• 27:11 - How VirtaMed works with surgeons

• 34:47 - VirtaMed’s business model

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What we also talked about with Raimundo:

• Stefan Tuchschmid

• AANA

• AGA

• Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

• B. Braun Melsungen AG

• Bruno Schmied

• Dieter Hahnloser

• Melanie Aregger

• Avelo

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We cited with Raimundo some of the past episodes from the series:

• #2 - Treating liver cancer with surgical robotics - Lucien Blondel - Quantum Surgical

• #7 - Redefining motor rehabilitation with digital neurotherapeutics - Naveed Ejaz - Mindmaze

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If you want to know more about VirtaMed, we invite you to consult their website and follow their activities on LinkedIn.

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As mentioned by Raimundo in the episode, you can learn more about the field of surgical simulations and the latest trends in that regard through the following sources:

• Society for Simulation in Healthcare

• The PROFICIENCY project

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You can get in touch with Raimundo through LinkedIn or by email: raimundo.sierra@virtamed.com

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If you want to give me feedback on the episode, ask questions or suggest potential guests, feel free to do so through LinkedIn or by email: mathieu@impulsepodcast.com.

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