Robotic surgery education in Australia and New Zealand: primetime for a curriculum

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, robotic surgery (RS) has witnessed remarkable growth, yet Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) lack dedicated RS training programs, creating a workforce gap. This narrative review synthesises international research to explore trends and challenges in robotic education.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature review, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE using keywords like ‘robotic surgery’, ‘surgical education’, ‘robotic surgery training’, and ‘robotic surgery curriculum’. We selected studies contributing to understanding current curricula, training tools, and issues in robotic education, utilising the international experience and how it might apply to the ANZ context.ResultsRS in ANZ has grown significantly over two decades, but formal curricula for trainees are absent. North America and Europe employ diverse training tools and curricula. Barriers include cost, access, time constraints, equipment complexity, changing training environments, and competition from emerging robotic surgical systems. Balancing the curriculum's demands with trainees' existing requirements is essential.ConclusionDeveloping a tailored RS curriculum within ANZ's surgical training is crucial for RS to become the primary surgical approach in the future. By working towards a national curriculum we can prepare skilled trainees in robotics to meet the rising demand. The most significant barrier is the lack of robotics in public hospital where trainees are based. This curriculum should encompass online teaching modules, bedside assistance, surgical simulation, dual console mentoring, and primary operator experience.

Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery training in France: a nation-wide survey from young surgeons

“…A survey from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) Robotic Working Group [ 5 ] highlighted the increasing adoption of RATS in Europe, but also emphasized significant gaps in training and curriculum integration across the continent. The importance of a structured, standardized training programme for thoracic robotic surgery in Europe has been acknowledged [ 12 ], and authors from Europe [ 3 , 12 ], the USA [ 13 , 14 ] and Australia/New Zealand [ 15 ] have expressed concerns about the lack of such programmes for various specialties [ 16 ]. In the USA, neither the American Association of Thoracic Surgery nor the Society of Thoracic Surgeons sponsors a widely accepted curriculum for residents, nor is robotic experience required to sit for American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification [ 17 ].…”