Identification and analysis of variables affecting completion time in a virtual reality based laparoscopic pattern cutting task

摘要

Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a surgical procedure that is known to offer a myriad of benefits to both patients and physicians. Various factors are known to influence completion time of MIS tasks (which is a proxy for performance). So far, little considerations have been given to the study of the effect of movement and postural dynamics on surgical skills. In this pilot study, we identify four (4) potential factors (standing posture, skill, distance of subject from operating platform, and standing surface characteristics) that tend to influence performance. A 2~4 (two-to-power-four) factorial experiment is designed to preliminarily investigate the statistical significance of the influence of these factors on completion time, while performing fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) Pattern Cutting tasks. This study would benefit physicians who conduct MIS, and help them make informed decisions on postural variations needed to achieve optimal performance.