Simulation training with haptic feedback of instrument vibrations reduces resident workload during live robot-assisted sleeve gastrectomy

Background: New surgeons experience heavy workload during robot-assisted surgery partially because they must use vision to compensate for the lack of haptic feedback. We hypothesize that providing realistic haptic feedback during dry-lab simulation training may accelerate learning and reduce workload during subsequent surgery on patients.

Methods: We conducted a single-blinded study with 12 general surgery residents (third and seventh post-graduate year, PGY) randomized into haptic and control groups. Participants performed five simulated bariatric surgeries on a custom inanimate simulator followed by live robot-assisted sleeve gastrectomies (RASGs) using da Vinci robots. The haptic group received naturalistic haptic feedback of instrument vibrations during their first four simulated procedures. Participants completed pre-/post-procedure STAI and post-procedure NASA-TLX questionnaires in both simulation and the operating room (OR).

Results: Higher PGY level (simulation: p < 0.001, OR p = 0.004), shorter operative time (simulation: p < 0.001, OR p = 0.003), and lower pre-procedure STAI (simulation: p = 0.003, OR p < 0.001) were significantly associated with lower self-reported overall workload in both operative settings; PGY-7 s reported about 10% lower workload than PGY-3 s. The haptic group had significantly lower overall covariate-adjusted NASA-TLX during the fourth (p = 0.03) and fifth (p = 0.04) simulated procedures and across all OR procedures (p = 0.047), though not for only the first three OR procedures. Haptic feedback reduced physical demand (simulation: p < 0.001, OR p = 0.001) and increased perceived performance (simulation: p = 0.031, OR p < 0.001) in both settings.

Conclusion: Haptic feedback of instrument vibrations provided during robotic surgical simulation reduces trainee workload during both simulation and live OR cases. The implications of workload reduction and its potential effects on patient safety warrant further investigation.