Extended Reality in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery: A State-of-the-Art Review

To review the current literature on the applications of extended reality (XR), including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. REVIEW

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✦ The floor

Discussion

Signed responses from readers of the wire.

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

No actionable change for most audiologists currently — XR applications in this review are primarily surgical and ENT-focused; audiology-specific clinical use cases remain limited, though the technology warrants monitoring.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

As XR technology matures in surgical specialties adjacent to audiology (e.g., cochlear implant surgery, temporal bone procedures), audiologists and hearing implant teams should monitor its trajectory for potential integration into pre-surgical planning and training.

✦ Key Points ✦

01State-of-the-art review covers VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR) applications across otolaryngology and head & neck surgery.
02XR technologies are being applied to surgical simulation, preoperative planning, and intraoperative navigation.
03Published in Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery (DOI: 10.1002/ohn.70323).
04The review is descriptive rather than evaluative — no comparative efficacy data are presented.
05Relevance to audiology is indirect but includes cochlear implant and temporal bone surgery contexts.

✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

ClaimEvidenceSupport

Extended reality technologies have current applications in otolaryngology and head & neck surgery training and surgical planning.

opinionpartially supported

✦ Research metadata ✦

PMID: 42371620
DOI: 10.1002/ohn.70323.
Journal: Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
Publication type: review
Evidence level: 5
Population: Literature on extended reality applications in otolaryngology and head & neck surgery
Intervention: Extended reality technologies (VR, AR, MR) in otolaryngology and head & neck surgery

Primary outcomes

Characterisation of current XR applications in otolaryngology and head & neck surgery

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