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Proficiency-based virtual reality training significantly reduces the error rate for residents during their first 10
Gunnar Ahlberg1, Lars Enochsson, Anthony G Gallagher
1Department of Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Sweden. gunnar.ahlberg@karolinska.se
Background:
Virtual reality (VR) training has been shown previously to improve intraoperative performance during part of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of proficiency-based VR training on the outcome of the first 10 entire cholecystectomies performed by novices.
Methods:
Thirteen laparoscopically inexperienced residents were randomized to either (1) VR training until a predefined expert level of performance was reached, or (2) the control group. Videotapes of each resident's first 10 procedures were reviewed independently in a blinded fashion and scored for predefined errors.
Results:
The VR-trained group consistently made significantly fewer errors (P = .0037). On the other hand, residents in the control group made, on average, 3 times as many errors and used 58% longer surgical time.
Conclusions:
The results of this study show that training on the VR simulator to a level of proficiency significantly improves intraoperative performance during a resident's first 10 laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
