How far will simulators be involved into training?

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery expansion necessitates new surgical skills acquisition methods.
• Constraints like time, patient safety, and social factors reduce operating room (OR) training availability.
• Traditional training methods face challenges in adapting to evolving surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing surgical skills acquisition.
• To evaluate the role and effectiveness of simulation in current surgical training programs.
• To explore the transferability of skills learned through simulation to the operating room.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on surgical skills acquisition and simulation.
• Analysis of studies comparing different simulation modalities (e.g., virtual reality, video-based).
• Assessment of skill transfer from simulation models to real-world surgical procedures.

Main Results:

• Virtual reality (VR) simulation shows significant positive skill transfer in surgical training.
• Skill transfer from video-based simulation is observed in novice trainees.
• Positive transfer from VR simulation to the operating room (OR) is demonstrated for specific procedures like laparoscopic cholecystectomy and colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy.
• A blended approach combining different simulation types may offer enhanced training benefits.

Conclusions:

• Simulation, particularly VR, plays a vital role in supplementing standard laparoscopic training.
• A mixed-model approach integrating various simulation trainers can strengthen surgical curricula.
• Further development of objective assessment tools and proficiency-based criteria is essential for wider simulation adoption in surgical training programs.