Expertise in perception during robotic surgery (ExPeRtS): What we see and what we say.

BACKGROUND

Given the challenges of teaching in robotic operating rooms, we sought to investigate the language of perceptual expertise used by robotic surgeons, in an effort to improve current approaches to robotic training.

METHODS

Expert robotic surgeons reviewed 8 anonymous video clips portraying key portions of two robotic general surgery procedures and their comments were recorded and transcribed. Using content analysis, each transcript was double-coded and reconciled using a consensus developed codebook.

RESULTS

Seventeen expert robotic surgeons participated and comments formed two primary themes: visual comprehension and surgical technique. Surgeons minimally used tactile language. Risk avoidance was a second-order theme dominating language used.

CONCLUSIONS

Experts occasionally used tactile language and emphasized risk avoidance as they observed robotic surgery. Despite the need to communicate perceptual expertise to trainees in robotic surgery, tactile language was not exhibited by expert surgeons, revealing an important future area of focus for intraoperative teaching skills.