Online Live Streaming System for Robotic Surgery With Bidirectional Discussion Through a Commentator: A...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Technology
• Robotics

Background:

• Live broadcasting of robot-assisted surgeries is a valuable educational tool.
• Legal and safety concerns in Japan have limited live surgery adoption.
• A novel system with a commentator addresses these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a modified online live-streaming system for robot-assisted surgery education.
• To assess the system's effectiveness in facilitating bidirectional discussions and improving surgical comprehension.
• To overcome legal and safety barriers to live surgical broadcasting in Japan.

Main Methods:

• A multi-institutional observational study using the Intuitive Telepresence system.
• Broadcasting da Vinci robotic surgeries with a commentator facilitating real-time discussions.
• Assessing usability, surgical comprehension, and discussion quality via a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire.

Main Results:

• 94.7% of participants reported positive experiences with bidirectional discussions.
• The system effectively conveyed robotic instrument handling and anatomical understanding.
• Video quality issues were resolved with stable internet, leading to 90% satisfaction in later sessions.

Conclusions:

• The commentator-based live streaming system successfully enhanced bidirectional learning in robotic surgery.
• The system improved robotic surgical education despite initial challenges.
• Expansion of this live surgical broadcasting system across Japan is planned.