A New Era in Surgery: Wide Awake VR Opens April 1st, 2025

In April, I will be proud to open my new practice: Heritage Hand and Plastic Surgery. This innovative practice bypasses traditional health systems and main operating rooms, offering direct hand surgery in an office setting. It’s a vision my co-founders and I set in motion back in 2019 when we founded Wide Awake VR, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the patient experience through cutting-edge technology.

Our breakthrough? Performing surgeries under local anesthesia while patients engage in immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences. Far from the sterile, anxiety-ridden operating rooms of the past, Wide Awake VR transports patients into captivating digital worlds that not only distract but also educate. These tailored VR experiences prepare patients for recovery by delivering vital information in an engaging way, empowering them to heal with confidence.

The results speak for themselves. In my 2023 paper, Virtual Reality Improves Patient Experience, patients reported not just satisfaction but actual enjoyment during surgery. This is more than a medical advancement—it’s a reimagining of care. At Heritage Hand and Plastic Surgery, we’re proving that healing can be transformative, accessible, and even delightful. Welcome to the future of surgery.