Mapping the maze of minimally invasive surgery simulators

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Increasing demand for surgeon skill assessment in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) due to patient safety and quality concerns.
• Need for intensified MIS training, including team training, and novel assessment methods.
• Growing interest in new tools for training and assessing MIS skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide instructors with an overview of available MIS training tools.
• To review currently available simulators for MIS training, including their applicability, validity, and construction.
• To review leading training programs and assessment methods in MIS.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted on studies evaluating surgical task performance on simulators.
• Review of studies on satisfaction with laparoscopic training programs.
• Validation of simulators and assessment methods.

Main Results:

• Simulators for MIS training include simple box trainers and advanced computer-based systems (virtual and augmented reality).
• All simulator types have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
• Overview of current training systems, their validity, trainee assessment, and the significance of MIS training programs.

Conclusions:

• No single simulator currently enables training of all essential MIS psychomotor skills or procedures.
• A comprehensive, multiyear training program integrating various simulators is recommended.
• Training should encompass multiple skill levels and include team training.