General Surgery I
AB054. SOH25_AB_330. Pre-procedural robotic surgery curricula: a systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis
Carolyn Cullinane1, Michael Devine2, Helen Mohan3,4, Dara O’Keeffe5, Barry McGuire5, Christina Fleming1
1Department of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland;
2StAR MD RCSI Strategic Academic Recruitment Doctor of Medicine/Hermitage Clinic, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland;
3Department of Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia;
4Department of Research, International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA), Melbourne, Australia;
5Department of Surgical Affairs, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Background: Pre-procedural training in a new medical technology is imperative for patient safety. This review analysed pre-procedural robotic surgery training.
Methods: A study protocol was developed in accordance with Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses [Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) (PRISMA)] guidelines. A search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted. Title and abstract screening were performed. Full texts were appraised for eligibility. Data regarding curriculum platform utilised, speciality and grade of intended target training population, duration, methodology, and outcome measures were gathered. A meta-analysis was precluded given the heterogeneity and qualitative nature of extracted data, therefore, a meta-synthesis was performed.
Results: After removal of duplicates 734 records were screened. Of these, 283 full texts were sought for retrieval and assessed for eligibility. In total, 121 records fulfilled the inclusion criteria: describing, validating, reviewing, or proposing guidelines for pre-procedural curriculums in robotic surgery. Almost half (49%) of records were published between 2020 and 2024. While not universal, the common components of pre-procedural curricula for robotic surgery involve participants acquiring canonical (context independent) knowledge and skills. Didactic modules and bedside education of the system were typically followed by high fidelity simulation training using virtual reality, dry, and wet laboratory rudimentary platform and procedural training.
Conclusions: The exponential increase in recent publications in pre-procedural robotic surgery training reflects an unmet need for standardisation in design and delivery in this area. Robotic surgery pre-procedural training and assessment in parallel to standard surgical training for surgical trainees requires a standardised curriculum adopting proficiency based skills training principles and utilising high fidelity simulation with various components deliverable at an individual, regional and national level.
Keywords: Robotic surgery; training; curriculum; credentialing; governance
Acknowledgments
None.
Funding: None.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
doi: 10.21037/map-25-ab054
Cite this abstract as: Cullinane C, Devine M, Mohan H, O’Keeffe D, McGuire B, Fleming C. AB054. SOH25_AB_330. Pre-procedural robotic surgery curricula: a systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis. Mesentery Peritoneum 2025;9:AB054.
