Significance of Robotic VR Simulation on Operating Room Performance

John Lenihan Jr., M.D. As robotic surgeons, we have all used virtual reality (VR) robotic surgery simulators; although very few of us have had to utilize these in required training curriculums that mandate achieving proficiency prior to starting to operate on live patients. A recently published study in the British Journal of Surgery out of…

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How Long Should a Trainee Practice on a Robotic Simulator?

This is probably the most frequent question asked when people are trying to understand the impact of investing in a simulator for their robotic surgical program. Of course, there is not one answer to this question as training objectives can vary significantly depending on the trainee’s discipline, level of surgical experience, and standards set by…

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The Relationship Between Robotic Surgical Technical Skill in RARP and Patient Outcomes – 3 Abstracts From AUA 2017

One of the questions we have been studying and trying to better understand is the relationship between surgical skill and patient outcomes. The rough rule of thumb has always been to ask a surgeon how many of these procedures he or she has done. The logic is that the more surgeries they have performed the…

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Interesting Studies from AUA 2017

In May, Mimic joined top urologists from around the world in attending the AUA Annual Meeting in Boston. Among the rich content and papers presented, here are 3 especially interesting robotic surgery training and simulation takeaways from papers presented at AUA 2017: 1. Trainees take between 15% and 120% longer than expert surgeons when carrying…

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Tips to Take Your Robotics Program to the Next Level

Here are some tips that may help you take your robotics program to the next level: • Encourage your robotics committee to establish minimum credentialing thresholds of simulation performance. • Create accounts for all trainees (i.e., no training under “guest”). This ensures performance can be tracked. • Implement Mimic curriculum to test for innate ability…

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First Portable Robotic Surgery Simulator, FlexVR™, available at AUA 2017

Top urologists from around the world are expected to attend the 112th AUA Annual Meeting in Boston, May 13 – 15, 2017. The anticipated event features more educational offerings and innovative programming than ever before, and is the perfect place for Mimic Technologies to further showcase the world’s first portable robotic surgery simulator. Earlier this…

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First of Its Kind, Portable Robotic Surgery Training System Debuts at EAU 2017

Attendees at this year’s Annual EAU Congress are invited to demo the newest surgery simulator created by Mimic Technologies. The new, portable system includes the same top training programs you’ll find on the full size dV-Trainer, such as Maestro AR with Prostatectomy Si and Prostatectomy Xi – yet the new FlexVR™ surgery simulator is more…

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SAGES Attendees Invited for a First Look at a Revolutionary New Portable Training System for Robotic Surgery

In a world where robotic surgery is becoming more prevalent, Mimic is introducing the first simulator designed with mobility, flexibly, and storability in mind. Ideal for training centers and robotic surgeons looking for a more personal training experience, the new FlexVR™ will be on display at this year’s SAGES, March 22-24, in Houston, Texas. The…

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3 Ways Team Training Can Improve Your Robotics Program

In a recent blog about components of a successful robotic surgery simulation program, team Training was listed as one of the important factors. ‘The study, Teaching Surgical Skills – Changes in the Wind, published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Richard Reznick, et al., stated, “Virtual reality has the potential to enhance surgical-team training…

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The Importance of Proficiency in Robotic Surgery and the Training Implications

Over the past few months we have talked frequently about the importance of acquiring proficiency in robotic surgery. Although this may have been evident to many, the term proficient has been based on the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition. This model, developed in the 1980’s, focuses on how students acquire skills through formal instruction and…

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