Experience matters for robotic assistance: an analysis of case data

Area of Science:

• Robotic Surgery
• Surgical Efficiency
• Operating Room Management

Background:

• Robotic procedures often require assistant involvement, but their impact on outcomes and efficiency is not well-established.
• Previous research on assistant experience and surgical outcomes has yielded inconsistent results.
• Understanding the effect of assistant experience on operating room time is crucial for optimizing scheduling and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between assistant experience and operating room time in robotic-assisted surgeries.
• To analyze the impact of different assistant roles (junior resident, senior resident, fellow, physician assistant) on case duration.
• To provide data supporting the development of targeted assistant training programs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study design.
• Inclusion of 2291 robotic-assisted operations performed between 2016 and 2022.
• Linear regression analysis to assess the relationship between assistant presence and case length.

Main Results:

• The presence of a junior resident was significantly associated with an increase in operating room time by 26.9 minutes (p=0.01).
• No significant associations were found between the presence of senior residents, fellows, or physician assistants and changes in case length.
• These findings indicate that junior residents' inexperience may be a key factor in prolonged robotic surgery duration.

Conclusions:

• Junior resident involvement in robotic surgery is linked to increased operating room time.
• Formal assistant training programs for residents could enhance efficiency in robotic procedures.
• Optimizing assistant training may lead to reduced surgical times and improved operating room throughput.