Spatial Skill Training for Robot-assisted Surgery

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Surgical residents from a single tertiary medical center were divided into 2 groups. All residents performed 2 tasks on a Da Vinci robotic simulator system after which they were either given a real training session in spatial skills (study group) or shown a short presentation regarding robotic surgery. After training/watching the presentation, they repeated the for mentioned tasks on the robotic simulator. Improvement in surgeon performance, especially regarding tissue damage was documented.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Importance: Robot-assisted surgery is becoming the mainstay of modern surgery. Efficient training techniques are essential for enhanced performance. Optimal performance during a surgical task is key to successful surgery and minimal adverse events. Objective: To introduce and examine a single session of spatial skill training as an efficient means of improving surgical suturing performance in robot-assisted surgery. Design: Forty-one surgical residents will be randomly assigned to training and control conditions. (1) participants will perform two da-Vinci skills simulator (dVSS) tasks to determine baseline performance. (2) the training group will undergo computer-based simulator training of spatial skills while the control group will engage in a neutral activity. (3) two dVSS tasks will be performed within 2 days of training completion to evaluate post-training performance. The experiment will be conducted until December 2018. Participants: A convenience sample comprised of 41 surgical residents with non-robotic surgical suturing skills.

Official Title
-----------------
An Efficient Single-Session Spatial Skill Trainer for Robot-assisted Surgery: A Randomized Trial

Conditions
-----------------
Spatial Learning

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: Computerized spatial skill training
* Other: Watching a presentation regarding robotic surgery


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Surgical Residents with no previous robotic surgery experience. Exclusion Criteria: Non surgical residents.

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 25 Years
Maximum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Study group<br>Surgical residents undergoing spatial skill training. | Other: Computerized spatial skill training<br>* The spatial skills training session consisted of six practice trials that were run in a sequence. The objective of each practice was to manipulate the simulated robotic arm to grab the cubes and move them to a desired location using keyboard keys. The participant was required to reach a decision based on the visual-spatial information, before initiating subsequent movements of the simulated robotic arm. Each practice trial presented an initial state of the cubes in front of the robotic arm, and a target position of the cubes.<br>|
| Sham Comparator: Control group<br>Surgical residents not undergoing spatial skill training. | Other: Watching a presentation regarding robotic surgery<br>* Watching a 20-35 minute long power-point presentation regarding the history of robotic surgery.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tissue piercing | Number of times tissue was pierced during suturing | up to 2 hours from enrollment | 
| Tissue tearing | Number of times tissue was teared during suturing | up to 2 hours from enrollment |