Surgeons who wore an Apple Vision Pro as their primary display during tear duct procedures finished operations 19% faster than those using traditional monitors, according to a peer-reviewed study by UC San Diego. The study, published in AJO International, examined 32 endoscopic surgeries to clear blocked tear ducts. In half the cases, surgeons wore Vision Pro headsets that streamed endoscopic video directly into their field of view, allowing them to maintain a natural forward-facing posture throughout the procedure.

Average operative time was 34.4 minutes with the Vision Pro compared to 42.7 minutes with traditional monitors. All cases in both groups succeeded with no complications, and all five participating surgeons preferred operating with the headset, reporting lower physical and mental workload.

Researchers noted the Vision Pro was cheaper and far smaller than the monitor setup it replaced. However, they cautioned that the study is small and preliminary, calling for larger trials to confirm the results.