title: Validation, correlation, and comparison of the da Vinci trainer(™) and the daVinci surgical skills simulator(™) using the Mimic(™) software for urologic robotic surgical education.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Virtual reality simulators with self-assessment software may assist novice robotic surgeons to augment direct proctoring in robotic surgical skill acquisition. We compare and correlate the da Vinci Trainer™ (dVT) and da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulators (dVSSS) in subjects with varying robotic experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students, urology residents, fellows, and practicing urologists with varying robotic experience were enrolled after local institutional review board approval. Three virtual reality tasks were preformed in sequential order (pegboard 1, pegboard 2, and tubes)-initially on the dVSSS and then on the dVT. The Mimic™ software used on both systems provides raw values and percent scores that were used in statistical evaluation. Statistical analysis was performed with the two-tailed independent t-test, analysis of variance, Tukey, and the Pearson rank correlation coefficient where appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two participants were recruited for this study and separated into five groups based on robotic surgery experience. In regards to construct validity, both simulators were able to differentiate differences among the five robotic surgery experience groups in the tubes suturing task (p≤0.00). Sixty-seven percent (4/6) robotic experts thought that surgical simulation should be implemented in residency training. The overall cohort considered both platforms easy to learn and use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although performance scores were less in the dVT compared with the dVSSS, both simulators demonstrate good content and construct validity. The simulators appear to be equivalent for assessing surgeon proficiency and either can be used for robotic skills training with self-assessment feedback.
authors: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Liss
authors: Corollos
authors: C
authors: Abdelshehid
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Quach
authors: Achim
authors: A
authors: Lusch
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Graversen
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Landman
authors: Elspeth M
authors: EM
authors: McDougall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012371:Robotics / Q000193:education*; D012984:Software; D013537:Sutures; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*