Novel Technology Allows Surgeons to Monitor Their Robotic Surgery Skills

A new assessment system can more reliably predict whether surgeons are ready to operate on patients using the da Vinci robot.

The new technology, called MScore, provides more precise analysis of actual surgical performance, which has been shown to be difficult to accomplish using common training approaches. The technology compares a novice surgeon performance to that of experienced surgeons in order to give an objective assessment of a surgeon’s skills; the comparative skills are based on performance data collected from more than 100 experienced surgeons and academics that have completed at least 75 separate cases. The system also encourages continued training long after proficiency has been established, and performance is monitored over time to inspire a surgeon to continually advance their level of skill.

MScore assessment is based on an evaluation protocol called the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), which is used to train and credential surgeons through the American College of Surgeons (ACS). FLS has so far been limited to general and vascular services, and requires testing with physical models and proctor overview. The new virtual reality MScore system automates the process for surgical robotics training, and provides instant assessment and feedback. Current research is focused on utilizing MScore for surgeon credentialing across a wide breadth of surgical subspecialties.

A surgeon’s proficiency and score is established by utilizing a wide variety of performance metrics, such as task time, efficiency of instrument motion, blood loss, and the force applied to tissue. Such an evaluation can help hospitals decide whether a new da Vinci surgeon is proficient enough to conduct surgery on patients. Beyond establishing proficiency, the system is also being applied to alternative training protocols, such as warming up before surgery and retaining surgical skills during periods of inactivity. The MScore system is a development of Mimic Technologies (Seattle, WA, USA), which built the da Vinci simulation platform.

“We believe, based on a decade of experience working with surgeons and hospitals, that assessment of surgeon performance must be objective and consistently applied regardless of training institution,” said Jeff Berkley, Founder and CEO of Mimic Technologies. “The medical community and patients will have an increased level of comfort with robotic technology once there is such measurement of performance.”

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