Performances on simulator and da Vinci robot on subjects with and without surgical background

Objective: To assess whether previous training in surgery influences performance on da Vinci Skills Simulator and da Vinci robot.

Material and Methods: In this prospective study, thirty-seven participants (11 medical students, 17 residents, and 9 attending surgeons) without previous experience in laparoscopy and robotic surgery performed 26 exercises at da Vinci Skills Simulator. Thirty-five then executed a suture using a da Vinci robot.

Results: The overall scores on the exercises at the da Vinci Skills Simulator show a similar performance among the groups with no statistically significant pair-wise differences (p < .05). The quality of the suturing based on the unedited videos of the test run was similar for the intermediate (7 (4, 10)) and expert group (6.5 (4.5, 10)), and poor for the untrained groups (5 (3.5, 9)), without statistically significant difference (p < .05).

Conclusion: This study showed, for subjects new to laparoscopy and robotic surgery, insignificant differences in the scores at the da Vinci Skills Simulator and at the da Vinci robot on inanimate models.