Spatial Communication in Robotic Surgery

Abstract

Surgical robots assist with precision tasks in minimally invasive procedures. The surgeon controls the robot from a console away from the operating table, reducing the opportunity for face-to-face communication in an otherwise team-oriented environment. This study examined spatial communication in a collaborative surgical task. It was hypothesized that spatial communication aids would improve performance in the task despite subjects' innate spatial ability. Fifteen novice dyads completed a simulated organ manipulation task using a laparoscopic trainer box with a rotated (90 o ) camera view. Subjects were divided into 3 experimental groups: no aid, cardinal directions aid, and grid aid. A spatial ability test was also administered. Significant correlations were found between spatial ability, time, and communication volume in the no aid condition, an effect less apparent in the cardinal directions or grid aid conditions. These results suggest the benefit of a spatial communication aid to promote collaboration in robotic surgery.

The Impact of Robotic-Assisted Surgery on Team Performance: A Systematic Mixed Studies Review

“…Robotic and laparoscopic techniques came into use around the same time. However, in the late 1990s, robotic technology allowed continuous input of the surgeon's actions to be translated into real-time movements (Bric et al, 2016;Cunningham & Cao, 2012).…”

“…Robotic and laparoscopic techniques came into use around the same time. However, in the late 1990s, robotic technology allowed continuous input of the surgeon's actions to be translated into real-time movements (Bric et al, 2016;Cunningham & Cao, 2012). Roboticassisted surgery (RAS) is a complex intervention because it aims to produce change in the delivery and organization of healthcare services and includes several separate components that act both independently and interdependently (Campbell et al, 2000;Moore et al, 2012).…”