Invasive Surgery Training Research Articles

Minimally invasive surgical exposure among US and Canadian pediatric surgery trainees, 2004-2016

BackgroundMinimally invasive pediatric surgery has increased in breadth and complexity over the past several decades, with little data on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training in US and Canadian pediatric surgery fellowship programs. MethodsWe performed a time series analysis of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education pediatric surgery fellow case logs from 2003 to 2016. Proportions of cases performed in an MIS fashion as well as per-fellow MIS case averages were recorded over time. ResultsThere was a 30.9% increase in average number of MIS cases per fellow over the study time period. Twenty-three recorded procedures included MIS and open options (17 abdominal, three thoracic, and three genitourinary). The proportion of cases performed using a minimally invasive approach increased by an average of 29.0%, 14.6%, and 47.0% for each of these categories, respectively. Significant variability was observed in specific cases such as laparoscopic and open inguinal hernias, ranging from 0 to 85 and nine to 152 per trainee, respectively, in the final year of data collection. When examining pyloromyotomy, a high-volume procedure with a known increase in the MIS approach, the proportion of cases performed MIS increased by 83.3%. The minimum and maximum number of cases per fellow recorded ranged from 0 to 114 during the eight years in which MIS pyloromyotomy was recorded. ConclusionsMIS case exposure among graduating US and Canadian pediatric survey fellows increased substantially during the study period. More granular data, however, are needed to better define the current operative experience and criteria for determination of competency in advanced MIS.

Automated surgical skill assessment in RMIS training.

Manual feedback in basic robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) training can consume a significant amount of time from expert surgeons' schedule and is prone to subjectivity. In this paper, we explore the usage of different holistic features for automated skill assessment using only robot kinematic data and propose a weighted feature fusion technique for improving score prediction performance. Moreover, we also propose a method for generating 'task highlights' which can give surgeons a more directed feedback regarding which segments had the most effect on the final skill score. We perform our experiments on the publicly available JHU-ISI Gesture and Skill Assessment Working Set (JIGSAWS) and evaluate four different types of holistic features from robot kinematic data-sequential motion texture (SMT), discrete Fourier transform (DFT), discrete cosine transform (DCT) and approximate entropy (ApEn). The features are then used for skill classification and exact skill score prediction. Along with using these features individually, we also evaluate the performance using our proposed weighted combination technique. The task highlights are produced using DCT features. Our results demonstrate that these holistic features outperform all previous Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based state-of-the-art methods for skill classification on the JIGSAWS dataset. Also, our proposed feature fusion strategy significantly improves performance for skill score predictions achieving up to 0.61 average spearman correlation coefficient. Moreover, we provide an analysis on how the proposed task highlights can relate to different surgical gestures within a task. Holistic features capturing global information from robot kinematic data can successfully be used for evaluating surgeon skill in basic surgical tasks on the da Vinci robot. Using the framework presented can potentially allow for real-time score feedback in RMIS training and help surgical trainees have more focused training.

The Case for Simulation-Based Mastery Learning Education Courses for Practicing Surgeons.

Pediatric surgeons rely on simulation courses to develop skills for safe minimally invasive repair of complex congenital anomalies. The majority of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training courses occur during short "exposure courses" at annual conferences. Little data are available to support the benefit of these courses relative to the safe implementation of new skills. The purpose of this article is to determine the impact of an exposure course for advanced neonatal MIS on self-perceived comfort levels with independent performance of advanced MISs. Participants of a 4-hour hands-on course for neonatal MIS were surveyed regarding clinical practices and pre- and post-training perceived "comfort levels" of MIS skills for thoracoscopic esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (tTEF) repair, thoracoscopic left upper lobe pulmonary lobectomy (tLobe), and laparoscopic duodenal atresia (lapDA) repair. Descriptive analyses were performed. Seventeen participants completed pre- and postcourse surveys. The majority of participants had no prior experience with tLobe (59%) or lapDA (53%), and 35% had no experience with tTEF repair. Similarly, the majority were "not comfortable" with these procedures. After the short course, the majority of surgeons reported that they were "likely to perform" these operations within 6 months, despite low levels of baseline experience and comfort levels. An exposure training course led to immediate perception of increased skills and confidence. However, these courses typically do not provide basic tenets of expert performance that demands deliberate practice. Future course design should transition to a mastery learning framework wherein regular skill assessments, milestones, and unlimited education time are prioritized before implementation of the new skills.

Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Minimally Invasive Surgery Training Improves Outcomes in Basic Laparoscopic Procedures.

To determine whether minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training improves outcomes in laparoscopic appendectomy, a procedure that is commonly performed in general surgery training. Retrospective review was conducted of all patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis between 2014 and 2015 at a single-center, tertiary-care academic institution. Patients operated on by MIS-trained surgeons (MIS group) were compared to those operated on by general surgeons (GS group). Single-incision and multiport laparoscopic appendectomies were included; open approach, known malignancy, and interval appendectomies were excluded. A total of 507 patients were included in the study: 181 patients in the MIS group and 326 in the GS group. There were no differences in patient demographics or medical comorbidities between groups and most patients were ASA class 1 or 2. Patients operated on by MIS-trained surgeons had significantly shorter operative time (43min, IQR 32-60 vs. 58min, IQR 44-81; p<0.001) and fewer intra-operative adverse events (0/181 vs. 8/326, 2.5%; p=0.03). There was no difference in number of postoperative adverse events between groups (6/181, 3.3% vs. 21/326, 6.4%; p=0.13). In the MIS group, subgroup analysis of single-incision versus multiport appendectomy showed no differences in intra-operative or postoperative adverse events. On multivariable linear regression, lack of MIS training and traditional multiport approach had the greatest effects on prolonging operative time (11.2 and 12.8min, respectively; p=0.001). MIS fellowship improves operative metrics and patient outcomes even in basic laparoscopy.

The Effect of Formal Robotic Residency Training on the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery by Young Colorectal Surgeons

The minimally invasive approach to colorectal surgery is still underused. Only 50% to 60% of colectomies and 10% to 20% of rectal resections for cancer are performed laparoscopically. The increasing adoption of the robotic platform for colorectal surgery warrants re-evaluation of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training techniques. Although considering lessons learned from past laparoscopic training, a standardized national robotic training program for colon and rectal surgery residents was developed and implemented in 2011. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of this program on the usage of MIS in practice following residency training. An internet-based 18 question survey was sent to all colon and rectal surgeons who graduated from ACGME-approved colon and rectal surgery residencies from 2013 to 2016. The survey questions were designed to determine MIS practice patterns for young colon and rectal surgeons after residency training for those who participated in the standardized national robotics training course when compared to those who did not participate. Grouped bar charts with error bars are presented along with summary statistics to offer a descriptive overview of training experiences by cohort. This study is a survey of colon and rectal surgeons who completed colon and rectal surgery residencies to include all 52 programs across the United States. The overall survey response rate was 37.2% (109 of 293). Most (79.8%) of the colon and rectal surgery resident respondents participated in the formal robotic training course. The average respondent reported that 84% of colectomy cases and 74.8% of rectal resections done after residency training by all respondents were by the MIS approach. The laparoscopic approach was most prevalent for colectomies for both course participants (laparoscopic 55.1%, hand assisted lap 14.5%, and robotic 15.7%) and nonparticipants (laparoscopic 53.8%, hand assisted lap 12.3%, and robotic 15.9%). For rectal resections, the robotic approach was the preferred option for course participants (laparoscopic 24.5%, hand assist lap 14.0%, and robotic 39.2%) whereas laparoscopic and open approaches were used more often by nonparticipants (laparoscopic 36.8%, hand assist lap 8.0%, robotic 26.8%, and open 28.4%). Barriers to robotic implementation included lack of robotic mentors, inadequate robotic assistance, and the preference for the laparoscopic approach. The usage of MIS by young recently fellowship-trained colorectal surgeons is higher than previously reported. The proportion of rectal cases done robotically is higher compared to colon cases and with an apparent decrease in open rather than laparoscopic surgery, suggesting selective usage of robotic surgery for more challenging cases in the pelvis. Methods to more effectively increase the usage of minimally invasive approaches in colorectal surgery warrant further evaluation.

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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: More partial nephrectomies are performed every year as a surgical treatment for kidney cancer. However, this procedure remains technically challenging. Surgeons require a substantial number of cases before their performance plateaus. No established practice mode exists; thus, there is a need for training models to simulate real tumor excisions and kidney suturing. In this study, we seek to validate these silicone models using multiple simulations with urologists of different training levels. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We created silicone renal tumor models using 3D printed molds of a patient’s kidney with a mass. Medical students, urology residents, fellows, and attending surgeons are recruited to perform simulated partial nephrectomies on these models. Four trials are performed with a da Vinci surgical robot on 2 different days. We are evaluating surgeon performance and improvement using validated measures as well as operation-specific metrics. Operation-specific metrics include renal artery clamp time and surgical margins. Validated measures of self-assessed operative demand (NASA TLX) and reviewer-assessed surgical performance (GEARS) are also recorded across trials. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The preliminary results of 2 medical students, 10 urology residents, 3 endourology fellows, and 2 attending urologists are reported here. Model face validity was evaluated on a 0–100 sliding scale anchored at unrealistic and realistic. Mean results thus far are 77.7 for overall feel, 82.7 for needle driving, 75.6 for cutting, and 73.2 for visual representation. Between trials 1 and 4 there was a mean reduction of 3.26 minutes in renal artery clamp time, and a 75% reduction in positive margins. There was a reduced incidence of positive surgical margins with advanced training stage. Fellows, residents, and medical students had positive tumor margins in 25%, 50%, and 75% of their trials, respectively. We expect to recruit 15 additional subjects for this study. Upon completion of data acquisition, more robust statistical comparisons and measures will be reported. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Face validity measures indicate the model adequately represents reality. Preliminary data suggest improved surgical performance over the course of the training and better performance in urologists of higher training levels. This model may have potential for broader application and integration into minimally invasive surgery training programs.

Arthroscopic rotator cuff injury under the implementation of three stages recovery postoperatively in patients with minimally invasive surgery training value discussion

Objective To analyze humanized nursing and postoperative function of early stage training under arthroscopic rotator cuff injury minimally invasive surgery in patients with application value. Methods A total of 104 routine under arthroscopy of minimally invasive surgery in patients with rotator cuff injury by double-blind controls (usual care) and observation group (phase humanized nursing and early function training). With preoperative and postoperative week 5, 10, 15 weeks, 20 weeks of observation point in time, compared two groups of Constant Murley shoulder joint assessment of the indicators (pain, muscle strength, joint mobility, daily life) score, compared two groups of Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score. Results Preoperative, two groups of patients with pain, muscle strength, (range of motion, ROM), comparison between daily life score group were no significant differences (P> 0.05). Observation group of 10, 15, 20 weeks postoperatively pain scores were (4.32±0.17), (2.20±0.39), (1.01±0.24) points, which were higher than (4.61±0.21), (3.36±0.38),(1.76±0.14) points of the control group, and there were significant differences (t=7.74, 15.36, 19.47, P<0.01). All the observation time point strength postoperative observation group were (11.53±1.40)-(22.01±0.31)points, which werehigher than (9.16±1.06)-(17.14±1.01) points of control group, and there were significant differences (t=8.97-33.24, P<0.01). Each time point ROM postoperative observation group were (74.96±4.39)-(150.01±2.34) points which were higher than (69.01±2.63)-(120.15±2.36)points of control group, and there were significant differences(t=8.38-64.79,P<0.01). The observation group of 10-20 weeks daily life score were (13.05±1.21)-(17.10±0.75) points higher than (10.65±1.31)-(13.42±1.04)points of control group, and there were significant differences (t=9.70-20.70, P <0.01) . HAMA and HAMD score after the intervention of observation group were (10.25±1.60), (12.02±1.84) points which were lower than (12.01±2.78), (14.95±2.11) points of the control group, and there were significant differences (t=3.25, 6.19, P< 0.01) . Conclusions Humanized nursing and functional training for early stage in patients with rotator cuff injury under the arthroscope minimally invasive surgery; has the following functions: improve patients’psychological status, the positive application of treatment and rehabilitation; pain relief, and functional training smoothly; the early functional training to increase muscle strength and joint motion and improve everyday life. Key words: Three stages rehabilitation training; Function training; Rotator cuff injury

Mastery Learning - does the method of learning make a difference in skills acquisition for robotic surgery?

Few studies compare the effectiveness of blocked vs random practice conditions in minimally invasive surgery training, and none have evaluated these in robotic surgery training. The dV-Trainer® and the da Vinci® Surgical System (dVSS) were used to compare practice conditions. Forty-two participants were randomized into blocked and random practice groups. Each participant performed five tasks: Ring Walk, Thread the Rings, Needle Targeting, Suture Sponge and Tubes Level 2. Transfer to the dVSS was also assessed. No significant differences were observed between the two groups, except for a few instances. For example, during Ring Walk, the random group performed significantly faster than the blocked group (100.78±5.26s vs 121.59±5.26s, p<0.01). The study results do not follow the current evidence presented in the education literature. This is the first time that blocked versus random practice was tested for robotic surgery training.

Gesture-Based Adaptive Haptic Guidance: A Comparison of Discriminative and Generative Modeling Approaches

This paper investigates the incorporation of hidden conditional random fields (HCRF) as a discriminative statistical modeling technique into adaptive haptic guidance (HG) for physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). In this gesture-based HG approach, the knowledge and experience of experts are modeled to improve the unpredictable motions of novice trainees in a virtual minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training task. The HCRF models are developed for automatic gesture recognition and segmentation as well as generating guidance forces. The forces are adaptively calculated in real time with respect to gestural similarities among user motions and the gesture models. The HCRF-based approach is compared with a hidden Markov model-based (HMM-based) method for capturing the gestures of the user and providing adaptive HG. The experimental results show that the HCRF, as a discriminative method, can outperform HMM, as a generative method, in terms of user performance.

Milestone assessment of minimally invasive surgery in Pediatric Urology fellowship programs

Minimally invasive surgery has become an important aspect of Pediatric Urology fellowship training. In 2014, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education published the Pediatric Urology Milestone Project as a metric of fellow proficiency in multiple facets of training, including laparoscopic/robotic procedures. The present study assessed trends in minimally invasive surgery training and utilization of the Milestones among recent Pediatric Urology fellows. Using an electronic survey instrument, Pediatric Urology fellowship program directors and fellows who completed their clinical year in 2015 were surveyed. Participants were queried regarding familiarity with the Milestone Project, utilization of the Milestones, robotic/laparoscopic case volume and training experience, and perceived competency with robotic/laparoscopic surgery at the start and end of the fellowship clinical year according to Milestone criteria. Responses were accepted between August and November 2015. Surveys were distributed via e-mail to 35 fellows and 30 program directors. Sixteen fellows (46%) and 14 (47%) program directors responded. All fellows reported some robotic experience prior to fellowship, and 69% performed >50 robotic/laparoscopic surgeries during residency. Fellow robotic/laparoscopic case volume varied: three had 1-10 cases (19%), four had 11-20 cases (25%), and nine had >20 cases (56%). Supplementary or robotic training modalities included simulation (9), animal models (6), surgical videos (7), and courses (2). Comparison of beginning and end of fellowship robotic/laparoscopic Milestone assessment (Summary Fig.) revealed scores of <3 in (10) 62% of fellow self-assessments and 10 (75%) of program director assessments. End of training Milestone scores >4 were seen in 12 (75%) of fellow self-assessment and eight (57%) of program director assessments. An improvement in robotic/laparoscopic Milestone scores by both fellow self-assessment and program director assessment was observed during the course of training; however, 43% of program directors rated their fellow below the graduation target of a Milestone score of 4. The best ways to teach minimally invasive surgery in fellowship training must be critically considered.

Neighborhood Variation in the Utilization of Laparoscopy for the Treatment of Colon Cancer.

The rates of laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer have steadily increased since its inception. Laparoscopic colectomy currently accounts for a third of colectomy procedures in the United States, but little is known regarding the spatial pattern of the utilization of laparoscopy for colon cancer. This study evaluated the utilization of laparoscopy for colon cancer at the neighborhood level in Ontario. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed. This study was conducted at all hospitals in the province of Ontario. This population-based study included all patients aged ≥18 who received an elective colectomy for colon cancer from April 2008 until March 2012 in the province of Ontario. The primary outcome measure was the neighborhood rates of laparoscopy. Overall, 9,969 patients underwent surgery, and the cluster analysis identified 74 cold-spot neighborhoods, representing 1.8 million people, or 14% of the population. In the multivariate analysis, patients from rural neighborhoods were less than half as likely to receive laparoscopy, OR 0.44 (95% CI, 0.24-0.84; p = 0.012). Additionally, having a minimally invasive surgery fellowship training facility within the same administrative health region as the neighborhood made it more than 23 times as likely to be a hot spot, OR 25.88 (95% CI, 12.15-55.11; p < 0.001). Neighborhood socioeconomic status was not associated with variation in the utilization of laparoscopy. Patient case mix could affect laparoscopy use. This study identified an unequal utilization of laparoscopy for colon cancer within Ontario with rural neighborhoods experiencing low rates of laparoscopic colectomy, whereas neighborhoods in the same administrative region as minimally invasive surgery training centers experienced increased utilization. Further study into the causes of this variation in resource allocation is needed to identify ways to improve more efficient spread of knowledge and technical skills advancement.

Advances in Pediatric Surgical Education: A Critical Appraisal of Two Consecutive Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery Training Courses.

Mandates for improved patient safety and increasing work hour restrictions have resulted in changes in surgical education. Educational courses increasingly must meet those needs. We sought to determine the experience, skill level, and the impact of simulation-based education (SBE) on two cohorts of pediatric surgery trainees. After Institutional Review Board (IRB) exempt determination, a retrospective review was performed of evaluations for an annual advanced minimally invasive surgery (MIS) course over 2 consecutive years. The courses included didactic content and hands-on skills training. Simulation included neonatal/infant models for rigid bronchoscopy-airway foreign body retrieval, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, and real tissue diaphragmatic hernia (DH), duodenal atresia (DA), pulmonary lobectomy, and tracheoesophageal fistula models. Categorical data were analyzed with chi-squared analyses with t-tests for continuous data. Participants had limited prior advanced neonatal MIS experience, with 1.95 ± 2.84 and 1.16 ± 1.54 prior cases in the 2014 and 2015 cohorts, respectively. The 2015 cohort had significantly less previous experience in lobectomy (P = .04) and overall advanced MIS (P = .007). Before both courses, a significant percentage of participants were not comfortable with DH repair (39%-42%), DA repair (50%-74%), lobectomy (34%-43%), and tracheoesophageal fistula repair (54%-81%). After course completion, > 60% of participants reported improvement in comfort with procedures and over 90% reported that the course significantly improved their perceived ability to perform each operation safely. Pediatric surgery trainees continue to have limited exposure to advanced MIS during clinical training. SBE results in significant improvement in both cognitive knowledge and trainee comfort with safe operative techniques for advanced MIS.

Multispecialty and multilanguage training in spine surgery: A Latin-American experience

Abstract Objective To report the experience of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) training course in different languages and specialties for Latin American spine surgeons, and on their level of satisfaction with the curriculum. Methods A total of 29 hands-on training workshops were conducted over a period of 6 years, on using a MISS technique for degenerative disk disease. The participants completed two questionnaires aimed at evaluating the activities including the methodology, objectives, suitability of facilities, and instruments provided, as well as general satisfaction. Statistical analysis was performed using R 3.1.1 for Windows. Demographic and descriptive statistics were employed. Results A total of 366 specialists took part and included neurosurgeons, orthopaedists, and anaesthesiologists. The questionnaire was answered by 249 medical doctors from 12 Latin American countries, 98% of which professed to be satisfied with the training activity. Conclusions The use of educational tools, such as surgical simulators contributes to the new learning process techniques and adds confidence to the surgeons. The implementation of workshops conducted using strict planning leads to a high level of satisfaction among the participants, thus minimizing the differences between specialties or languages.

Make New Friends But Keep the Old: Minimally Invasive Surgery Training in Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Programs.

To evaluate the role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in gynecologic oncology fellowship training and fellows' predictions of their use of MIS in their future practice. All fellows-in-training in American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology-approved training programs were surveyed in 2012 through an online or mailed-paper survey. Data were analyzed and compared to results of a similar 2007 survey. Of 172 fellows, 69 (40%) responded. Ninety-nine percent of respondents (n = 68) indicated that MIS was either very important or important in gynecologic oncology, a proportion essentially unchanged from 2007 (100%). Compared to 2007, greater proportions of fellows considered laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and node dissection for cervical cancer (87% vs 54%; P < 0.0001) and trachelectomy and staging for cervical cancer (83% vs 32%; P < 0.0001) appropriate for MIS. Of the respondents, 92% believed that maximum or some emphasis should be placed on robotic-assisted surgery and 89% on traditional laparoscopy during fellowship training. Ten percent rated their fellowship training in laparoendoscopic single-site surgery as very poor; 44% said that the question was not applicable. Most respondents (60%) in 2012 performed at least 11 procedures per month, whereas most respondents (45%) in 2007 performed 6 to 10 procedures per month (P = 0.005). All respondents at institutions where robotic surgery was used were allowed to operate at the robotic console, and 63% of respondents reported that in robotic-assisted surgery cases when a fellow sat at the robot, the fellow performed more than 50% of the case at the console. These findings indicate that MIS in gynecologic oncology is here to stay. Fellowship programs should develop a systematic approach to training in MIS and in individual MIS platforms as they become more prevalent. Fellowship programs should also develop and apply an objective assessment of minimum proficiency in MIS to ensure that programs are adequately preparing trainees.

Outcome quality assessment by surgical process compliance measures in laparoscopic surgery.

The effective and efficient assessment, management, and evolution of surgical processes are intrinsic to excellent patient care. Hence, in addition to economic interests, the quality of the outcome is of great importance. Process benchmarking examines the compliance of an intraoperative surgical process to another process that is considered as best practice. The objective of this work is to assess the relationship between the course and the outcome of surgical processes of the study. By assessing 450 skill practices on rapid prototyping models in minimally invasive surgery training, we extracted descriptions of surgical processes and examined the hypothesis that a significant relationship exists between the course of a surgical process and the quality of its outcome. The results showed a significant correlation with Person correlation coefficients >0.05 between the quality of process outcome and process compliance for simple and complex suturing tasks in the study. We conclude that high process compliance supports good quality outcomes and, therefore, excellent patient care. We also showed that a deviation from best training processes led to a decreased outcome quality. This is relevant for identifying requirements for surgical processes, for generating feedback for the surgeon with regard to human factors and for inducing changes in the workflow in order to improve the outcome quality.

Analysis of surgical motions in minimally invasive surgery using complexity theory

Traditional Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) training paradigm in which interns and junior residents perform operations under the supervision of faculty surgeons lacks objective means of assessing surgical skills. This paper studies novel real–time measures that can dynamically quantify surgical motions. In this study, the proposed measures were tested through two phases of experimental study. In the first phase, ten volunteered subjects who have no prior experience of MIS completed three trials of a surgical exercise using a laparoscopic instrument on which a motion sensor was attached. In the second phase, an MIS surgeon performed three standard surgical exercises with five replications. Then, time–delay and Hurst exponent analysis were used to measure the degree of synchronisation in surgical motions. As the results, improvement in surgical motions was observed such that the range and thickness of time–delay plots are reduced while Hurst exponents increase, as the subjects gain experience.

Procedural specificity in laparoscopic simulator training: protocol for a randomised educational superiority trial

BackgroundThe use of structured curricula for minimally invasive surgery training is becoming increasingly popular. However, many laparoscopic training programs still use basic skills and isolated task training, despite increasing evidence to support the use of training models with higher functional resemblance, such as whole procedural modules. In contrast to basic skills training, procedural training involves several cognitive skills such as elements of planning, movement integration, and how to avoid adverse events. The objective of this trial is to investigate the specificity of procedural practice in laparoscopic simulator training.Methods/DesignA randomised single-centre educational superiority trial. Participants are 96 surgical novices (medical students) without prior laparoscopic experience. Participants start by practicing a series of basic skills tasks to a predefined proficiency level on a virtual reality laparoscopy simulator. Upon reaching proficiency, the participants are randomised to either the intervention group, which practices two procedures (an appendectomy followed by a salpingectomy) or to the control group, practicing only one procedure (a salpingectomy) on the simulator. 1:1 central randomisation is used and participants are stratified by sex and time to complete the basic skills. Data collection is done at a surgical skills centre.The primary outcome is the number of repetitions required to reach a predefined proficiency level on the salpingectomy module. The secondary outcome is the total training time to proficiency. The improvement in motor skills and effect on cognitive load are also explored.DiscussionThe results of this trial might provide new knowledge on how the technical part of surgical training curricula should be comprised in the future. To examine the specificity of practice in procedural simulator training is of great importance in order to develop more comprehensive surgical curricula.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02069951

A 3D virtual reality simulator for training of minimally invasive surgery.

For the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in the field of cardiovascular disease treatment. However, these complex medical procedures require a combination of rich experience and technical skills. In this paper, a 3D virtual reality simulator for core skills training in minimally invasive surgery is presented. The system can generate realistic 3D vascular models segmented from patient datasets, including a beating heart, and provide a real-time computation of force and force feedback module for surgical simulation. Instruments, such as a catheter or guide wire, are represented by a multi-body mass-spring model. In addition, a realistic user interface with multiple windows and real-time 3D views are developed. Moreover, the simulator is also provided with a human-machine interaction module that gives doctors the sense of touch during the surgery training, enables them to control the motion of a virtual catheter/guide wire inside a complex vascular model. Experimental results show that the simulator is suitable for minimally invasive surgery training.

Development and testing of an endoscopic pseudo-viewpoint alternating system.

Purpose An endoscopic system is needed that presents informative images irrespective of the surgical situation and the number of degrees of freedom in endoscopic manipulation. This goal may be achieved with a virtual reality view for a region of interest from an arbitrary viewpoint. An endoscopic pseudo-viewpoint alternation system for this purpose was developed and tested.Method Surgical experts and trainees from an endoscopic surgery training course at the minimally invasive surgery training center of Kyushu University were enrolled in a trial of a virtual reality system. The initial viewpoint was positioned to approximate the horizontal view often seen in laparoscopic surgery, with 20^{circ } between the optical axis of the endoscope and the task surface. A right-to-left suturing task with right hand, based on a task from the endoscopic surgery training course, was selected for testing. We compared task outcomes with and without use of a new virtual reality-viewing system.Result There was a 0.37 mm reduction in total error (p = 0.02) with use of the proposed system. Error reduction was composed of 0.1 mm reduction on the y-axis and 0.27 mm reduction on the x-axis. Experts benefited more than novices from use of the proposed system. Most subjects worked at a pseudo-viewpoint of around 34^circ .Discussion Suturing performance improved with the new virtual reality endoscopic display system. Viewpoint alternation resulted in an overview that improved depth perception and allowed subjects to better aim the marker. This suggests the proposed method offers users better visualization and control in endoscopic surgery.

Use of 3-Dimensional Printing Technology and Silicone Modeling in Surgical Simulation: Development and Face Validation in Pediatric Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty

Pediatric laparoscopy poses unique training challenges owing to smaller workspaces, finer sutures used, and potentially more delicate tissues that require increased surgical dexterity when compared with adult analogs. We describe the development and face validation of a pediatric pyeloplasty simulator using a low-cost laparoscopic dry-laboratory model developed with 3-dimensional (3D) printing and silicone modeling. The organs (the kidney, renal pelvis, and ureter) were created in a 3-step process where molds were created with 3D modeling software, printed with a Spectrum Z510 3D printer, and cast with Dragon Skin 30 silicone rubber. The model was secured in a laparoscopy box trainer. A pilot study was conducted at a Canadian Urological Association meeting. A total of 24 pediatric urology fellows and 3 experienced faculty members then assessed our skills module during a minimally invasive surgery training course. Participants had 60 minutes to perform a right-side pyeloplasty using laparoscopic tools and 5-0 VICRYL suture. Face validity was demonstrated on a 5-point Likert scale. The dry-laboratory model consists of a kidney, a replaceable dilated renal pelvis and ureter with an obstructed ureteropelvic junction, and an overlying peritoneum with an inscribed fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery pattern-cutting exercise. During initial validation at the Canadian Urological Association, participants rated (out of 5) 4.75 ± 0.29 for overall impression, 4.50 ± 0.41 for realism, and 4.38 ± 0.48 for handling. During the minimally invasive surgery course, 22 of 24 fellows and all the faculty members completed the scoring. Usability was rated 4 or 5 by 14 participants (overall, 3.6 ± 1.22 by novices and 3.7 ± 0.58 by experts), indicating that they would use the model in their own training and teaching. Esthetically, the model was rated 3.5 ± 0.74 (novices) and 3.3 ± 0.58 (experts). We developed a pediatric pyeloplasty simulator by applying a low-cost reusable model for laparoscopic training and skills acquisition. The model's usability, realism, and feel are good, it can be imaged under common modalities, and it shows promise as an educational tool.