You have accessJournal of UrologyTechnology & Instruments: Surgical Education & Skills Assessment1 Apr 20111482 CONTENT AND CONSTRUCT VALIDATION OF ROBOTIC SURGERY CURRICULUM USING ELECTROMAGNETIC INSTRUMENT TRACKER Timothy Tausch, Timothy Kowalewski, Lee White, Timothy Brand, and Thomas Lendvay Timothy TauschTimothy Tausch Tacoma, WA More articles by this author , Timothy KowalewskiTimothy Kowalewski Seattle, WA More articles by this author , Lee WhiteLee White Seattle, WA More articles by this author , Timothy BrandTimothy Brand Tacoma, WA More articles by this author , and Thomas LendvayThomas Lendvay Seattle, WA More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.02.1440AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Rapid adoption of robot-assisted surgery has outpaced our ability to train novice roboticists. Objective metrics are required to adequately assess robotic surgical skills, yet surrogates for proficiency such as economy of motion and tool path metrics are not readily accessible directly from the da Vinci robot system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). The trakSTAR Tool Tip Tracker (Ascension Technology Corporation, Burlington, VT) is a widely available, cost-effective electromagnetic position sensing mechanism by which objective proficiency metrics can be quantitated. In this study, we seek to validate a robotic surgery curriculum using the trakSTAR device to objectively measure robotic task proficiency metrics. METHODS Through an IRB approved study, ten subjects were recruited from two surgical experience groups (novice and experienced). All subjects completed three technical skills modules (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) block transfer, FLS intracorporeal suture/knot, and ring tower transfer) using the daVinci, with the trakSTAR device affixed to the robotic instruments. Objective metrics recorded included task time and path length, which were used to calculate economy of motion. Student's t-test statistics were performed using STATA (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). RESULTS The novice group consisted of 5 subjects, as did the experienced group. The experienced group outperformed the novice group in all three tasks (see attached table). The experts described the simulator platform as useful for training and agreed with incorporating it into a residency curriculum. Means for Novice vs. Experienced for Three Tasks Block Transfer Time (s) Block Transfer Path (cm) Block Transfer Econ of Motion (cm/s) Suture Time (s) Suture Path (cm) Suture Econ. of Motion (cm/s) Ring Tower Transfer Time (s) Ring Tower Transfer Path (cm) Ring Tower Transfer Econ. of Motion (cm/s) Novice 128.6 217.7 2.168 177.6 226.4 1.306 551.6 677.5 1.276 Experienced 84.65 227.7 2.750 90.70 154.7 1.770 162.5 319.2 1.996 p-value 0.006 0.038 0.012 0.004 0.013 0.0498 0.016 0.021 0.001 CONCLUSIONS Robotic surgery curricula can be validated through the use of an off-the-shelf instrument tracking system. This platform allows not only surgical educators to objectively assess their trainees, but may also afford credentialing offices a means to objectively assess any surgical staff member seeking robotic surgery privileges at their institution. © 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 185Issue 4SApril 2011Page: e594 Peer Review Report Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Timothy Tausch Tacoma, WA More articles by this author Timothy Kowalewski Seattle, WA More articles by this author Lee White Seattle, WA More articles by this author Timothy Brand Tacoma, WA More articles by this author Thomas Lendvay Seattle, WA More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...