Computer simulation of prostate resection for surgery training

During a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), a surgeon removes the inner prostate tissue that obstructs the urinary flow. In this minimally invasive procedure, the novice surgeons must perform hundreds of training sessions before acquiring the skills needed. In this paper we present a three-dimensional (3D) computer model of the prostate for TURP simulation. The prostate model is designed to be the basis of a computer simulator for TURP training. The model was built from a set of ultrasound images with a technique that constructs a 3D volumetric mesh of the prostate shape. We used a set of ultrasound images with the prostate contour automatically annotated, using a point distribution model of the prostate which is adjusted by a genetic algorithm. A mass-spring method is used to model tissue deformation due to surgical tool interaction. The model simulates, in real-time: resections; tissue deformations and the cavity produced by the user as the surgical procedure progresses.