Virtual reality training improves operating room performance: results of a randomized, double-blinded study

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Laparoscopic Surgery

Background:

• Prospective, randomized, blinded studies demonstrating virtual reality (VR) surgical simulation's effectiveness in the operating room (OR) are lacking.
• VR simulation aims to train surgical skills and reduce error risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the transfer of technical skills from virtual reality (VR) training to the operating room (OR) environment.
• To validate VR surgical simulation as a tool for improving surgical performance.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen surgical residents were randomized into VR training (n=8) or control (n=8) groups.
• VR trainees used the MIST VR simulator until expert criterion levels were met.
• All subjects performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy; performance was assessed via blinded video review of errors.

Main Results:

• VR-trained residents performed gallbladder dissection 29% faster than controls.
• Non-VR-trained residents were significantly more likely to experience procedural delays and cause gallbladder injury or burn nontarget tissue.
• VR-trained residents committed six times fewer errors per case (1.19 vs. 7.38).

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality (VR) surgical simulation, when used to achieve specific criteria, significantly enhances resident performance in the operating room (OR).
• This study validates the transfer of VR-trained skills to live surgical procedures, supporting VR's role in surgical assessment, training, and error reduction.