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Evaluating Robotic Surgical Skills Performance Under Distractive Environment Using Objective and Subjective Measures
Irene H Suh1, Chad A LaGrange1, Dmitry Oleynikov1
1University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Surgical Innovation
|July 30, 2015
Summary
Distractions significantly impair robot-assisted surgical (RAS) performance, increasing muscle workload and affecting objective and subjective skill measures. Understanding surgeon coping mechanisms is vital for surgical education.
Area of Science:
- Robotics in Medicine
- Surgical Skill Assessment
- Human Factors in Surgery
Background:
- Distractions are known performance detractors in critical fields.
- The impact of distractions on robot-assisted surgery (RAS) performance remains unclear.
- Operating rooms present numerous potential distractions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of different types of distractions on RAS performance.
- To utilize both objective and subjective measures to assess performance.
- To understand how surgeons cope with distractions during robotic surgery.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen participants performed a knot-tying task using the da Vinci Surgical System.
- Three distraction types were introduced: passive, active, and interactive.
- Objective measures included instrument tip kinematics and electromyography (EMG); subjective measures used NASA Task Load Index and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery scores.
Main Results:
- Distractions significantly impacted all objective kinematic measures (P < .05).
- Significant effects of distraction were observed in EMG measures (EMG envelope, P < .004; median EMG frequency, P = .031).
- Subjective performance measurements also showed significant effects due to distractions.
Conclusions:
- Distraction negatively affects surgical skills performance in RAS.
- Distractions lead to increased muscle work and physiological load.
- Further research into surgeon coping strategies is essential for improving surgical education and training.
