Skills acquired on virtual reality laparoscopic simulators transfer into the operating room in a blinded, randomised,...

Virtual reality surgical simulators have proven value in the acquisition and assessment of laparoscopic skills. In this study, we investigated skill transfer from a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator into the operating room, using a blinded, randomised, controlled trial design. Surgical trainees using the LapSim System performed significantly better at their first real-world attempt at a laparoscopic task than their colleagues who had not received similar training, as measured independently by a number of expert surgical observers using four criteria.