Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of fully immersive virtual reality (VR) technology in the teaching of cesarean section (CS) surgery. Methods From September 2 to 17, 2021, 13 undergraduate students of clinical medicine major of Southern Medical University and 4 junior residents of Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University were enrolled (hereinafter referred to as trainees). In the teaching of CS surgery, VR software was used to train the trainees, and the built-in scoring system of the VR software was used to assess the accuracy and completion time of the trainees in completing the CS surgical operation, and a questionnaire was used to investigate the trainees' satisfaction with the training. The t-test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Results The scores of trainees completing CS surgical operation before and after the training were (52.94±19.06) and (85.47±3.39), and the operation time was (21.66±8.85) and (12.37±1.58) minutes, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The results of the questionnaire survey showed that 16 out of 17 trainees believed that VR technology was beneficial for mastering the key points of surgical skills, enhancing clinical confidence, and hoped to incorporate VR technology into the routine skills training. Conclusions Fully immersive VR based for teaching CS surgery helps to improve trainees' mastery of the CS procedure, shorten operation time, and is generally recognized by trainees.

Key words: Virtual reality, Medical simulation, Cesarean section, Application