Influence of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery experience in minimally invasive robotic surgery dexterity

Abstract

Background: It is unclear if there is a natural transition from robotic to laparoscopic surgery with
transfer of abilities. This study aims to measure the performance and learning of basic robotic tasks
in a simulator of individuals with different surgical background.
Method: Three groups were tested for robotic dexterity: (a) experts in laparoscopic surgery (n=6),
(b) experts in open surgery (n=6), and (c) non-medical subjects (n=4). All individuals were aged
between 40 - 50 years. Five repetitions of 4 different simulated tasks were performed: spatial vision,
bimanual coordination, hand-foot-eye coordination and motor skill.
Results: Experts in laparoscopic surgery performed similar to non-medical individuals and better
than experts in open surgery in 3 out of 4 tasks. All groups improved performance with repetition.
Conclusions: Experts in laparoscopic surgery performed better than other groups but almost
equally to non-medical individuals. Experts in open surgery had worst results. All groups improved
performance with repetition.