TY - JOUR
T1 - External validation of a virtual reality transurethral resection of the prostate simulator
AU - Hudak, Steven J.
AU - Landt, Cristy L.
AU - Hernandez, Javier
AU - Soderdahl, Douglas W.
PY - 2010/11/1
Y1 - 2010/11/1
N2 - Purpose Virtual reality surgical simulation is an emerging technology that may eventually fill the gaps in surgical education created by changes in our medical system. We assessed the construct validity of a commercially available, virtual reality transurethral prostate resection simulator. Materials and Methods Participants performed 2, 5-minute transurethral prostate resection exercises on a standardized virtual reality prostate. Data from the first exercise were discarded. Simulator based metrics from the second exercise were tabulated, including tissue resected in gm, number of cuts, coagulation time, number of coagulation attempts, tissue per cut in gm and blood loss. Complications were recorded. Performance metrics were compared between groups based on urological training level and prior real-world experience with transurethral prostate resection. Results A total of 35 participants with varied levels of transurethral prostate resection experience completed the exercise. Several performance metrics had statistically significant correlations with urology training level and prior experience with transurethral prostate resection. There was a positive correlation of all measures of experience with mass resected, mass resected per cut and blood loss. Number of cuts correlated significantly with transurethral prostate resection experience in the previous year. Complications were present in most groups with medical students more likely to encounter external urethral sphincter and rectal injuries. Conclusions We report the construct validity of a commercially available, virtual reality transurethral prostate resection simulator. The more experienced participants resected more tissue in a more efficient manner but with increased blood loss. Further investigations are needed before the widespread application of transurethral prostate resection simulators for training, certification and accreditation.
AB - Purpose Virtual reality surgical simulation is an emerging technology that may eventually fill the gaps in surgical education created by changes in our medical system. We assessed the construct validity of a commercially available, virtual reality transurethral prostate resection simulator. Materials and Methods Participants performed 2, 5-minute transurethral prostate resection exercises on a standardized virtual reality prostate. Data from the first exercise were discarded. Simulator based metrics from the second exercise were tabulated, including tissue resected in gm, number of cuts, coagulation time, number of coagulation attempts, tissue per cut in gm and blood loss. Complications were recorded. Performance metrics were compared between groups based on urological training level and prior real-world experience with transurethral prostate resection. Results A total of 35 participants with varied levels of transurethral prostate resection experience completed the exercise. Several performance metrics had statistically significant correlations with urology training level and prior experience with transurethral prostate resection. There was a positive correlation of all measures of experience with mass resected, mass resected per cut and blood loss. Number of cuts correlated significantly with transurethral prostate resection experience in the previous year. Complications were present in most groups with medical students more likely to encounter external urethral sphincter and rectal injuries. Conclusions We report the construct validity of a commercially available, virtual reality transurethral prostate resection simulator. The more experienced participants resected more tissue in a more efficient manner but with increased blood loss. Further investigations are needed before the widespread application of transurethral prostate resection simulators for training, certification and accreditation.
KW - Computer simulation
KW - Education, medical
KW - Prostate
KW - Prostatic hyperplasia
KW - Transurethral resection of prostate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957830233&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.juro.2010.06.141
DO - 10.1016/j.juro.2010.06.141
M3 - Article
C2 - 20850819
AN - SCOPUS:77957830233
VL - 184
SP - 2018
EP - 2022
JO - Investigative Urology
JF - Investigative Urology
SN - 0022-5347
IS - 5
ER -