Remote teaching system for robotic surgery and its validation: results of a randomized controlled study

Area of Science:

• Robotic Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Limited remote assistance modalities hinder rapid skill acquisition in basic robotic surgery training.
• Investigating real-time remote training benefits is crucial for enhancing surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a real-time remote surgical robotic skill training system.
• To compare remote training with traditional live guidance.

Main Methods:

• 40 novice medical students were randomly assigned to remote or live one-on-one training groups.
• Performance was assessed using a robotic simulator (Mimic dV-Trainer) and simulator scores.
• Trainer fatigue was measured using the NASA task load index (NASA-TLX).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in demographics or baseline skills between groups.
• The remote training group achieved higher scores in specific simulator exercises (Match Board 2, Thread the Rings 1).
• Trainers in the remote group reported significantly lower subjective fatigue.

Conclusions:

• The Remote Teaching System for Robotic Surgery (ReTeRoS) offers a feasible and effective remote training method.
• This approach shows potential for scalable robotic surgery education.
• Remote training enhances learning outcomes and reduces trainer burden.