In recent years, minimally invasive surgery has gained prominence over traditional surgery, thanks to benefits such as reduced blood loss, less pain, and a shorter recovery time, among others.
With the goal of finding tools to help refine this type of surgery, ABC Medical Center, through its Gynecology and Obstetrics area, conducted a study to evaluate the role of video games (virtual reality) in developing the skills needed to perform hysterectomies using the laparoscopic technique, over the period from June 2017 to May 2018.
The main purpose of virtual reality is simulation, which helps improve the learning curve by progressively building up a physician’s surgical skill, introducing varying levels of difficulty, and allowing the same technique to be repeated safely for both the surgeon and the patient.
For this study, two groups were formed: one comprising specialists and the other comprising residents, for a total of 27 physicians. The criteria evaluated included the precision of the colpotomy (the technique used to open the abdomen and access the pelvic cavity), tissue handling, proper use of the camera, and the physicians’ prior experience with video games. Surgical time, number of movements, and instrument trajectory were also analyzed.
The study was carried out using the LAP Mentor 3D SYSTEMS virtual reality simulator, which allowed for the performance of a total laparoscopic hysterectomy without vaginal cuff closure.
After completing the virtual reality procedures for each group and analyzing the data, the researchers found meaningful insights into the benefits of using video games as an educational tool, supporting its role in surgical training.
One of the study’s main findings suggests that physicians with a background in video games tend to have stronger laparoscopic surgical skills, regardless of their level of experience with real patients.
Another statistically significant finding was that residents with prior, more frequent video game experience achieved results with no meaningful difference from specialists, and that these residents completed the exercise using fewer movements of their dominant hand.
Introducing virtual reality simulator training for laparoscopy during medical residency may help reduce errors and potential complications in patients.
Thanks to virtual reality simulators, significant benefits are being achieved for patients, such as reduced injuries, including urinary injuries during hysterectomy, which tend to occur more frequently during a surgeon’s learning period or among those with fewer procedures under their belt, compared to more experienced physicians.
The study conducted at ABC Medical Center shows that medical residents with a background in video games acquire new laparoscopic surgical skills more easily, leading to better outcomes and fewer complications for real patients.
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