Assessment of joystick and wrist control in hand-held articulated laparoscopic prototypes

Various steerable instruments with flexible distal tip have been developed for laparoscopic surgery. The problem of steering such instruments, however, remains a challenge, because no study investigated which control method is the most suitable. This study was designed to examine whether thumb (joystick) or wrist control method is designated for...

Implications of the law on video recording in clinical practice

Background Technological developments allow for a variety of applications of video recording in health care, including endoscopic procedures. Although the value of video registration is recognized, medicolegal concerns regarding the privacy of patients and professionals are growing. A clear understanding of the legal framework is lacking....

Objective classification of residents based on their psychomotor laparoscopic skills

Background - From the clinical point of view, it is important to recognize residents’ level of expertise with regard to basic psychomotor skills. For that reason, surgeons and surgical organizations (e.g., Acreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, ACGME) are calling for assessment tools that credential residents as technically...

How valid are commercially available medical simulators?

Background: Since simulators offer important advantages, they are increasingly used in medical education and medical skills training that require physical actions. A wide variety of simulators have become commercially available. It is of high importance that evidence is provided that training on these simulators can actually improve clinical...

Requirements for the design and implementation of checklists for surgical processes

Background- The use of checklists is a promising strategy for improving patient safety in all types of surgical processes inside and outside the operating room. This article aims to provide requirements and implementation of checklists for surgical processes. Methods- The literature on checklist use in the operating room was reviewed based on...

The value of collision feedback in robotic surgical skills training

Collision feedback about instrument and environment interaction is often lacking in robotic surgery training devices. The PoLaRS virtual reality simulator is a newly developed desk trainer that overcomes drawbacks of existing robot trainers for advanced laparoscopy. This study aimed to assess the effect of haptic and visual feedback during...

Pre-clinical evaluation of the new veress needle+ mechanism on thiel-embalmed bodies: a controlled crossover study - Experimental research

Background: <br/>Veress needles (VN) are commonly used in establishing pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic surgery. Previously, a VN with a new safety mechanism ‘VeressPLUS’ needle (VN+) was developed to reduce the amount of overshoot.<br/><br/>Methods: <br/>Eighteen participants (novices, intermediates, and experts) performed in total of 248...

EASIER: A new model for online learning of minimally invasive surgery skills

Introduction: Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) can provide the tools to safely master minimally invasive surgery (MIS) skills in patient-free environments and receive immediate objective feedback without the constant presence of an instructor. However, TEL-based systems tend to work isolated from one another, focus on different skills, and...

Differences in abdominal force between conventional and single port laparoscopy

In laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS), only one single incision is used to introduce all instruments into the abdominal cavity. The introduction of multi-channel single-port devices enabled insertion of laparoscopic instruments and laparoscope through one single entry point instead of multiple entry points in conventional laparoscopic...