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Simulator Fidelity Does Not Affect Training for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery.
Shin Saito1, Kazuhiro Endo1, Yasunaru Sakuma1
1Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|April 13, 2023
Summary
Surgical robot training with simulators of varying fidelity yielded similar performance. A basic dry box simulator may be as effective as virtual reality for surgical robot training.
Area of Science:
- Medical simulation
- Robotic surgery
- Surgical training
Background:
- Surgical simulators are crucial for developing proficiency in robotic surgery.
- The fidelity of simulators may impact surgical skill acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of novice and expert surgeons using a surgical robot after training with simulators of varying fidelity.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different simulator fidelities in preparing surgeons for robotic procedures.
Main Methods:
- Eight novice and eight expert surgeons were randomized to three simulator groups.
- Participants trained on simulators and then performed exercises on a da Vinci surgical robot.
- Performance was assessed by completion time and Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) scores.
Main Results:
- Suturing exercise time showed significant differences between novices and experts across all simulators.
- Peg transfer task on the da Vinci robot did not show significant time differences between novices and experts.
- GEARS scores indicated significant differences between novice and expert performance.
Conclusions:
- Simulator fidelity did not significantly impact overall performance with the da Vinci surgical robot.
- Dry box simulators may offer comparable training effectiveness to virtual reality simulators.
- Further research is recommended to validate these findings on simulator effectiveness.
