Faced with an age of reliance on technology and innovative advances, surgeons are using cutting-edge
robotic systems to perform complex procedures and virtual reality simulators for specialized skill training.
The virtual environment and controllers in surgical simulators are reminiscent of those in videogames. So,
can playing video games develop skills similar to those used in robotic surgery?
This paper compares the performance of video gamers, medical students, and “lay people� to expert robotic
surgeons on a robotic surgery simulator. Participants recruited from the UCF College of Medicine, UCF
FIEA, and Florida Hospital completed a demographic questionnaire. The subjects then performed three
computer-based perceptual tests and participated in two warm-up tasks on the Mimic dV-Trainer to
familiarize themselves with the system. The experiment then measured their performance over eight trials
of two core simulated exercises. After completing these trials, participants completed a post-questionnaire
about their experience.
Analysis of the data did not verify differences between the groups for the perceptual tests except for the
time to complete scores in the Flanker and subsidizing tasks, in which expert surgeons took significantly
longer than other groups. Significant differences were found between the groups for the first and eighth
trials of the simulated exercises, with surgeons performing better than other groups. All groups improved
significantly from trial one to trial eight, with surgeons performing better than all groups. Gaming console
type positively correlated with Overall Score in the Ring & Rail exercise, as well as Time and Economy of
Motion in the suturing exercise. No other correlations were found.
The results are in contrast with prior literature on video game experience in laparoscopic surgery,
suggesting that gaming abilities do not translate to all surgical modalities. Future research is necessary to
further examine the impact alternative skillsets may have on surgical skills.