A Standardized Robotic Training Curriculum in a General Surgery Program

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The general surgery residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria has a long tradition of integrating robotic surgery into training since 2002. The purpose of this paper is to investigate our curriculum and evaluation system, which was designed to achieve a standardized format for education in general robotic surgery. Methods: The curriculum consists of two phases: phase 1 (PGY 1-2): Complete 4 robotic surgery training modules; read two assigned robotic surgery articles; and practice simulation modules on the robot. phase 2 (PGY 3-5): Refresh training modules, score Ͼ90% on the simulator modules every 6 months; bedside assist minimum of 4 robotic procedures; and act as console surgeon for a minimum of 10 procedures with 2 separate attending surgeons. The required simulator modules were specially selected to incorporate all of the skills categories documented in the simulator. The faculty evaluate the resident's operative performance using the Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills validated rubric. Results: Since the curriculum was instituted in June 2017, 73 evaluations from 8 surgeons have been collected. We examined data from 6 residents who had at least 5 Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills assessments completed. Correlation coefficient scores showed a positive correlation ranging from 0.476 to 0.862 for average skills and 0.334 to 0.866 for overall performance scores. Discussion: The preliminary results suggest an improvement of resident robotic surgical skills through tailored education. This curriculum is designed to enhance robotic general surgery education that could potentially produce general surgeons able to operate robotically without needing a robotic/MIS (Minimally Invasive Surgery) fellowship.

Impact of bedside assistant on outcomes of robotic thyroid surgery

“…Training of the bedside assistant is an essential component of a robotic surgery training program. [ 24 ] Most robotic training curricula include bedside assistant experience to allow trainees to learn patients-side demands, such as positioning, trocar placement, and docking. [ 24 , 25 ] However, these curricula required participation of only 4 robotic procedures at minimum for bedside assistants.…”

Teaching and Training Surgeons in Robotic Colorectal Surgery

“…Evaluations ought to be completed during the resident's active training to track growth and progress while performing colorectal robotic procedures. The evaluation we find most useful is the robotic variant of the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) global rating scale, 20 which is the Global Evaluation Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) score [21][22][23] (►Table 1). The GEARS score is a rubric with a total of 30 possible points in categories of depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, force sensitivity, autonomy, and robotic control.…”

Teaching und Training in der robotergestützten Chirurgie

“…ausgegeben [1]. Bestehende Empfehlungen zu standardisiertem Training und vorgeschlagene Curricula beschränken sich in der robotergestützten Chirurgie jedoch meist auf das Erlernen von Grundkenntnissen [2,3]. Ziel muss es somit sein, Fragen aufzuwerfen und Diskussionen anzustrengen, wie die weitere Entwicklung in der minimalinvasiven Chirurgie in Deutschland begleitet und sinnvoll strukturiert werden könnte.…”

“…Ferner können aber auch Teilschritte im Rahmen von Eingriffen unter Supervision übernommen werden. Auch wenn solche Ausbildungsprogramme derzeit noch einer Minderheit von Chirurgen/-innen zur Verfügung stehen, scheint die Anlehnung und Übernahme von etablierten sowie bewährten Schulungsmodulen der Aviatik die robotische Ausbildung effizient und effektiv zu unterstützen und letztendlich zur Patientensicherheit beizutragen [2,3].…”