Background: Assessment of any surgical skill is time-consuming and difficult. Currently, there are no accepted metrics for most surgical skills, especially laparoscopic skills. Virtual reality has been
utilized for laparoscopic training of surgical residents. Our hypothesis is that this technology can
be utilized for laparoscopic ability metrics.
Methods: This study involved medical students with no previous laparoscopic experience. All students were taken into a porcine laboratory in order to assess two operative tasks (measuring a piece
of bowel and placing a piece of bowel into a laparoscopic bag). Then they were taken into an inanimate
lab with a Minimally Invasive Surgery Trainer–Virtual Reality (MIST-VR). Each student repeatedly
performed one task (placing a virtual reality ball into a receptacle). The students' scores
and times from the animate lab were compared with average economy of movement and times from
the MIST-VR. The MIST-VR scored both hands individually.
Results: Thirty-two first- and second-year medical students were included in the study. There was
statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlation between 11 of 16 possible relationships between the
virtual reality trainer and operative tasks.
Conclusion: While not all of the possible relationships demonstrated statistically significant correlation, the majority of the possible relationships demonstrated statistically significant correlation.
Virtual reality may be an avenue for measuring laparoscopic surgical ability.
