Use of a virtual reality simulator for ureteroscopy training

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) surgical simulators offer a platform forOut-of-OR training, potentially reducing operative time and iatrogenic injury.
• The initial learning curve in ureteroscopy presents a challenge for novice endoscopists.
• VR simulators may provide a viable solution for early-stage surgical skills acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a virtual ureteroscopy (VU) simulator in training novice endoscopists.
• To determine if VU simulator training can help overcome the initial learning curve in ureteroscopy.
• To compare the performance of trained novices with experienced residents.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen medical students underwent 5 hours of training on a VU simulator, with pre- and post-training assessments.
• Sixteen urology residents with varied experience were assessed twice on the same module without additional training.
• Performance was measured by task completion time and subjective performance scores.

Main Results:

• Medical students significantly improved their task completion time by 50% after VU simulator training (17.4 to 8.7 minutes, p <0.05).
• Post-training student performance was comparable to that of first-year residents with a median of 14 clinical ureteroscopies.
• Subjective performance scores of trained students were also comparable to those of first-year residents.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality ureteroscopy simulator training effectively improves skills and reduces task completion time for novices.
• Novice endoscopists trained on VU simulators demonstrate performance levels similar to early-stage residents.
• VR training holds promise for accelerating the learning curve in ureteroscopy, warranting further validation.