Our Mission
Our advanced platform, designed for students, residents, and educators, improves understanding of complex 3D anatomy, hones surgical techniques, familiarizes users with relevant surgical instruments, and helps anticipate complications—leading to safer surgeries and better patient outcomes.
Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) is one of the most complex and high-risk procedures in otolaryngology. Complications from FESS, although rare, can be catastrophic and are the most frequent reason for otolaryngologic surgical litigation, with higher rates of patient injury when trainees perform the surgery compared to attending physicians.
With over 400,000 FESS performed annually, training remains a challenge due to the delicate anatomy of the head and neck and steep learning curve. SurgicalSteps bridges this gap by providing hands-on VR simulations that mimic real-life scenarios—allowing trainees to build expertise without putting patients at risk.
Our team consists of leading surgeons, engineers, and medical educators dedicated to transforming surgical education.
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, University of Arizona
Dr. Avery is a neurosurgeon focused on minimally invasive treatments for brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors, as well as vascular conditions. His expertise includes endoscopic and keyhole surgical techniques.
Associate Professor, Otolaryngology, University of Arizona
Dr. Le is an otolaryngologist and skull base surgeon specializing in minimally invasive sinus and tumor surgery. Co-founder of the Center of Sinonasal and Skull Base Tumors and director of the Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery Fellowship, he helps train specialists to offer comprehensive management for complex sinus diseases and surgeries.
Director, Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center
David oversees operations at ASTEC (Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center), a leading medical simulation center, and CATH (Center for Advanced Technologies in Healthcare). With expertise in healthcare simulation and instructional design, he develops training programs for medical professionals at all levels.
Otolaryngology Resident, Surgical Simulation Innovator
A future otolaryngology resident, David is passionate about medical education and has developed VR-based learning modules using de-identified craniofacial anatomy.
Lead VR Engineer, SurgicalSteps
An electrical and computer engineer, Jason leads the development of SurgicalSteps’ endonasal and skull base surgical simulator, combining VR technology with medical education to improve patient care.
Executive director, ASTEC
A neurosurgeon and simulation pioneer, Dr. Hamilton has served as chief of neurosurgery and chair of surgery at the University of Arizona. He leads ASTEC’s efforts in advancing medical simulation training.
Professor & Vice Chair of Otolaryngology, University of Arizona
With over 400,000 FESS performed annually, training remains a challenge due to the delicate anatomy of the head and neck and steep learning curve. SurgicalSteps bridges this gap by providing hands-on VR simulations that mimic real-life scenarios—allowing trainees to build expertise without putting patients at risk.
Cadaver-based surgical training is challenging due to ethical concerns, high costs, and lack of real-time feedback. In addition, observation-based methods can leave patients vulnerable to complications.
SurgicalSteps (MENTOR VR) provides trainees with an interactive, step-by-step guidance of real patient cases in a risk-free virtual environment. The steps are constructed based on validated methods that translate to improvements in surgical awareness and patient safety. MENTOR VRis affordable and accessible on commercially available VR headsets.
