STELA (Smart TV and smartphone-basEd Laparoscopy TrAiner): a no-cost home-based trainer for beginners

Proficiency in laparoscopy is gradually achieved. After initial simulation, it is safe to move to real patients. Simulation improves the basic attributes of laparoscopy, and its non-availability hampers training. Virtual reality and commercial simulators are exorbitantly expensive. Cheaper non-commercial latest, mobile phone-based simulators appear ergonomically unsuitable. A need for a no-cost, home-based laparoscopic endotrainer was felt by authors.

The authors proposed the concept of smart TV and smart phone-based laparoscopy trainer (STELA), an almost zero cost, lightweight indigenous, cable-less box-type endotrainer, with a smart phone housed on the model, projecting to smart TV via Wi-fi direct. The simulation timings on STELA were compared with Universal Beetel endotrainer by a group of surgeons and residents using identical tasks like object transfer (OT) and knot making (KM).

Data were analysed using SPSS, version 23.There was no significant difference in the mean timings of the residents (p > 0.05) on two endotrainers, for both tasks, and of surgeons for OT. Surgeons took significantly longer time (p < 0.05) in KM on STELA. Highest correlation (r = +.848) (<.05) was seen for KM on both devices by residents.

STELA is a viable, technologically advanced, no cost alternative to the non-commercial cumbersome simulators especially for beginners.