Assessment of first-touch skills in robotic surgical training using hi-Sim and the hinotori surgical robot system among surgeons and novices

• Published in: Langenbeck's archives of surgery Vol. 409; no. 1; p. 332
• Main Authors: Urade, Takeshi, Yamasaki, Nobuaki, Uemura, Munenori, Hirata, Junichiro, Okamura, Yasuyoshi, Mitani, Yuki, Hattori, Tatsuya, Nanchi, Kaito, Ozawa, Seiichi, Chihara, Yasuo, Chinzei, Kiyoyuki, Fujisawa, Masato, Fukumoto, Takumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2024
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Adult; Cardiac Surgery; Clinical Competence; Computer Simulation; Female; General Surgery; Humans; Laparoscopy - education; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Robotic Surgical Procedures - education; Simulation Training; Surgeons - education; Suture Techniques - education; Thoracic Surgery; Traumatic Surgery; Vascular Surgery; Robotic training; Robot-assisted surgery; da Vinci; hinotori; hi-Sim
• ISSN: 1435-2451; 1435-2443; 1435-2451
• DOI: 10.1007/s00423-024-03514-6

Purpose Surgeons’ adaptability to robotic manipulation remains underexplored. This study evaluated the participants’ first-touch robotic training skills using the hinotori surgical robot system and its simulator (hi-Sim) to assess adaptability. Methods We enrolled 11 robotic surgeons (RS), 13 laparoscopic surgeons (LS), and 15 novices (N). After tutorial and training, participants performed pegboard tasks, camera and clutch operations, energizing operations, and suture sponge tasks on hi-Sim. They also completed a suture ligation task using the hinotori surgical robot system on a suture simulator. Median scores and task completion times were compared. Results Pegboard task scores were 95.0%, 92.0%, and 91.5% for the RS, LS, and N groups, respectively, with differences between the RS group and LS and N groups. Camera and clutch operation scores were 93.1%, 49.7%, and 89.1%, respectively, showing differences between the RS group and LS and N groups. Energizing operation scores were 90.9%, 85.2%, and 95.0%, respectively, with a significant difference between the LS and N groups. Suture sponge task scores were 90.6%, 43.1%, and 46.2%, respectively, with differences between the RS group and LS and N groups. For the suture ligation task, completion times were 368 s, 666 s, and 1095 s, respectively, indicating differences among groups. Suture scores were 12, 10, and 7 points, respectively, with differences between the RS and N groups. Conclusion First-touch simulator-based robotic skills were partially influenced by prior robotic surgical experience, while suturing skills were affected by overall surgical experience. Thus, robotic training programs should be tailored to individual adaptability.