The operating theatre is ready, the surgical tools are in place, and the surgeon is donning his scrubs. Welcome to the world’s first operation to be streamed, live, in 360-degree video.

After 1pm on Thursday, cancer surgeon Shafi Ahmed will be operating on a patient to remove cancerous tissue from his bowel. And you can be in the room with with him - virtually.

While videos showcasing surgical procedures have been around for years, Ahmed, a cancer surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, believes the new approach is more than a mere gimmick. The technology, he argues, brings a valuable new feature to education, allowing viewers to focus not just on what the surgeon is doing, but also on what other members of the team are up to. “There will be noise, there will be the immersive factor – so that will add different layers of educational value,” said Ahmed.

To take part in the immersive experience, simply download the “VR in OR” app to your smartphone and watch the procedure through a virtual reality headset. If you don’t have a headset to hand, you can still explore the scene just by watching on a smartphone.

Alternatively, watch the embedded video at the top of this page, or on this website.