Use of virtual reality simulator in the training of postgraduated surgical residents

The purpose of this research project, granted by the Italian University and Scientific Research Ministry (MIUR) and carried on among four Surgical Departments in Padua, Verona, Pisa and Rome-Tor Vergata Universities, is to study the effectiveness of a virtual reality simulator as a tool for surgical residents training and as a method for measuring the surgical skills.

The residents performances on the computer were compared with those obtained by other training groups: medical students with no surgical background, senior surgeons with experience in the laparoscopy field and non medical students with referred ability in videogames. The residents were also sent to a well certified live animal laboratory where they could perform a cholecystectomy in a pig. Their operation was assessed by two independent observers using a new scoring methods for assessing the operative errors.

Statistically significant differences among the groups could be seen only after several tasks sessions and in the more surgical specific tasks. The first data analysis shows a fair correlation between the residents rank positions after the training tasks on the simulator and those obtained in the surgical operation.

Even if the data are not conclusive and the surgical simulators must develop greater levels of fidelity and operational diversity, the potential value of simulation in the educational surgical field appears to be impressive.