title: Manual vs robotically assisted laparoscopic surgery in the performance of basic manipulation and suturing tasks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the surgical performance of manual and robotically assisted laparoscopic instruments on basic maneuvers and intracorporeal suturing in inanimate models.
  
  
  METHODS
  A set of laparoscopic tasks was used to evaluate basic endoscopic movements and intracorporeal suturing: positioning a cylinder on a Peg-Board, dropping beads into receptacles, running a 25-cm rope, and capping a hypodermic needle. Intracorporeal knot tying and running a suture through predetermined points were evaluated separately. The sutures used for these tasks were 2-0 and 4-0 silk and 6-0 and 7-0 polypropylene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty surgeons completed the set of laparoscopic tasks manually and then with a robotically assisted system. None had used the robotic system before.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time required to complete the tasks and the precision in performing them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The robotic system accurately reproduced the movements of the surgeons and filtered their hand tremors efficiently. In the basic tasks, operative times were significantly longer for the robotic system (P<.001). In the suturing tasks, operative times were longer with the use of the robotic system for sutures sizes 2-0 and 4-0 (P<.001). However, time differences were not significant for suture sizes 6-0 and 7-0 (P> or =.07). Precision measurements were similar for all tasks using the manual instruments and the robotically assisted system. No significant differences were found between the performance of advanced laparoscopic surgeons and laparoscopic fellows.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic maneuvering and suturing is faster and just as precise when performed manually as when performed with the prototype robotic system. These differences in speed are inversely proportional to the size of the suture. Future generations of the robotic system may eliminate these differences.
authors.affiliation: Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Ruiz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gagner
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D020706:Laparoscopes; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*