Evaluation of basic skills improvement for laparoscopy by training with a video game

Introduction: Due to the growing economical and ethical limitations in surgeons training for minimally invasive surgery (mis, e.g. laparoscopy), this study aims at evaluating the effect of a continuous practice of a particular videogame on the development of the fundamental and specific skills needed to perform this type of procedure successfully. Materials and methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of video game practicing, three essential and common activities were chosen (cutting, suturing, and eye-hand coordination) to be performed in laparoscopic simulators. Eight different indexes or variables of performance were measured in the three activities. Fourteen voluntaries without previous experience in surgery were divided in two groups (intervention and control) and their performance was evaluated before and after a one-month standardized training program with the video game Marble Mania®. Results: A general improvement of all the performance variables was observed after one month training in the intervention group. This improvement was significant with respect to the control group in three of the eight variables: suturing errors (p = 0.003), and the execution and number of errors in the eye-hand coordination (p = 0.025 and 0.001, respectively).