Robotic surgical education: A systematic approach to training urology residents to perform robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Current status of robotic training in the UK – a trainees perspective

“…12 Training programmes Robotic training programmes which use a combination of tutorials, observation of live surgery and skills training with simulation have been described (see Figure 2). 11,14,16,17 The Fundamental Skills in Robotic Surgery (FSRS) training programme was created using curriculum exercises from the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) course. A short tutorial on the usage of the Da Vinci Surgical Simulator (DvSS) was followed by three main skills tests; suture pass, ball skills and 4th arm manipulation.…”

“…They found that both their fellowship trainees improved in completion time with the number of procedures performed and were able to complete a prostatectomy in a timely fashion by the end of their training. 16 Training of robotic surgeons began with industry lead courses and has since heavily relied on these as the benchmark for introduction to robotics. More recently there has been a call to move away from industry lead training and the FSRS course has been suggested as an alternative.…”

Overcoming the challenges of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

“…Although there are structured robotic residency programmes available, 2 the pathway for established consultants who wish to start a robotic programme is less clear. In fact, published guidelines for the safe introduction of RARP at an institution are surprisingly absent.…”

Evolving Role of Simulators and Training in Robotic Urological Surgery

“…An earlier study using Zeus robotic surgical system on laparoscopic trainer, showed faster timings for more experienced surgeons [6]. A systematic training approach for robotic prostatectomy with a step by step assessment and progression has been advocated for a safe and proficient training [7].…”

“…Robotic surgical training has now been incorporated in structured training programmes [7][8][9]. With structured training, no significant adverse impact on outcomes was seen for robotic prostatectomy done by urology fellows for over 1800 patients in a high volume centre [8].…”