Impact of robotics and laparoscopy on surgical skills: A comparative study.

Background: This study objectively surveyed and compared the ability of participants to perform laparoscopic and robotic tasks, and attempted to determine the key advantages of each modality.

Study Design: A task-based training course was developed that included laparoscopic and robotic task modules. Twenty-two participants (6 faculty members, 6 fellows, and 10 residents) completed a pretask and posttask questionnaire concerning 3 tasks, using both laparoscopy trainer and the daVinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc).