Prior Robotic Console Expertise May Improve Basic Skills at the New Hugo RAS Simulator: Results from a Cohort Trial and Implications for Skill Transference Across Platforms

Abstract

Robot-assisted surgery ensures minimal invasiveness; since the expiry of the Da Vinci patent, new robotic systems have entered the market. Recently, the Hugo RAS received CE approval for several surgical procedures. However, more is needed to know about skill acquisition at the new simulator. This study aims to analyse the factors impacting basic surgical skills at the Hugo RAS simulator. We present a cross-sectional study involving 71 participants of different backgrounds invited to a hands-on session with the Hugo RAS simulator voluntarily. All of them had no prior expertise with the system. Participants were recruited among medical/nurse students, residents, and laparoscopic and robotic surgeons. All participants underwent a hands-on “pick and place” exercise at the Hugo RAS simulator; the metrics of a second-round pick and place exercise were recorded. Metrics were analysed with regard to the following variables: demographics, videogame use, and prior surgical experience (no surgical expertise, experience with laparoscopy, and experience with robotic console). All participants completed the test. Of them, 77.5% were naïve to surgery, 8.5% had prior laparoscopic expertise, and 14.1% had prior robotic console experience. The time to complete the pick and place exercise was significantly lower (p < 0.001) among prior robotic surgeons (38 s, interquartile range [IQR] 34–45) compared with both naïve participants (61 s, IQR 53–71) and laparoscopists (93 s, IQR 53–162). The overall score of the exercise decreased with age (p = 0.046); however, the overall scores were significantly and steadily higher among surgeons experienced in robotic consoles across all age groups (p = 0.006). Neither gender (p = 0.7) nor videogame use (p = 0.9) correlated significantly with the metrics. This is the first study analysing factors impacting basic skill acquisition at a new robotic simulator. Experience with robotic consoles may represent a major factor, raising the hypothesis of the transferability of basic robotic skills across different robotic systems. Further studies are required to explore this issue. In the present study, we analysed which characteristics may affect the basic surgical skills at a novel robotic platform.