Face validation of a novel robotic surgical simulator.

Objectives: To assess the face validity of Robotic Surgery Simulator (RoSS), a novel virtual reality training platform for the da Vinci Surgical System (DVSS).

Methods: Urologic surgeons, fellows, and residents attending the 2009 American Urologic Association Annual Meeting in April 2009 were invited to an orientation session with RoSS. Participants completed a questionnaire after orientation and two modules.

Results: Thirty participants including 24 surgeons and fellows experienced with robotic surgery and 6 robotic surgery novices participated in the study. Eighty percent participants had at least 4 years of experience with robotic surgery and 77% had performed an average of 340 cases on the DVSS as primary console surgeons. Subjects indicated that RoSS was realistically close to the DVSS console in terms of virtual simulation and instrumentation. Fifty-two percent of subjects rated RoSS somewhat close and 45% rated RoSS very close to the DVSS console. Thirty-seven percent rated RoSS pinch device somewhat close, and 47% very close to the DVSS. With regard to movement of the arms, 43% rated it somewhat close, 40% rated it very close, and 7% felt that it was just like the DVSS. Camera movement and clutch functions were rated not close (11%), somewhat close (57%), and very close (32%) to the DVSS. Data were further analyzed in terms of surgical volume. Thirty-eight percent of subjects had also tried the Mimic dV-Trainer robotic surgery simulator.

Conclusions: RoSS provides opportunity for robot-assisted surgical training for future error-free surgery. Further validation will be necessary to assess RoSS and the application of specific modules for robot-assisted surgical training.