The rapid advancement of robotic surgical technology and its implementation in minimally invasive surgical procedures has led to the need to develop more efficient and effective training methods, as well as assessment and skill maintenance tools for surgical education. Previous studies have shown that virtual simulation training is effective for improving laparoscopic surgical performance. However, few have evaluated the effectiveness of these types of simulators for improving robotic surgery proficiency.
A three-part evaluation of the available robotic simulators is being performed to address the value and possible applications of the devices. The first part is an objective review and comparison of the design and capabilities of all of the simulators, which provides base specifications to aid potential users with selection of the device that best meets their needs. The second part is a subjective opinion on the usability of the simulators, which will include a survey of various health professionals and medical students without prior experience using the simulation devices. The third part includes a two-month experiment to determine which simulator has the greatest positive impact on robotic surgical performance and the degree of skill retention over a period of inactivity.
This paper describes the results of the first part of this study. It provides comparative data on all three simulators - the da Vinci Skills Simulator (Intuitive Surgical Inc.); dV-Trainer (Mimic Technologies, Inc.); and RoSS (Simulated Surgical Skills LLC). This includes details about the curriculum, scoring method, system administration, visual resolution, validation, and support tools for the devices.