An evaluation of the endoscopic surgical skills assessment using a video analysis software program

Recently, the endoscopic surgical skills of surgeons have become a focus of many investigators and society as a whole. Hence, the importance of the training and education programs used to ensure safer endoscopic surgery has been gradually increasing. We developed our own motion analysis system called the HUESAD, and already demonstrated its construct validity. In this study, we verified that another motion analysis system (which uses the Dartfish Software program) could assess surgeons' endoscopic surgical skills.

Experts (who had performed more than 100 laparoscopic surgeries) and novices (who had no experience performing laparoscopic surgery) were recruited for this study. The task was suturing in a dry box trainer. The time and the locus tracing of both sides' needle holders were analyzed using the new video analysis system (Dartfish Software).

There were statistically significant differences between the experts and novices in all three variables assessed (task time: p = 0.0011, the locus tracing of the left sides' needle holders: p = 0.0011, the locus tracing of the right sides' needle holders: p = 0.0011).

The results of this study demonstrated that the results of the motion analysis by the Dartfish Software were well correlated with the surgeon's skill level.