Florida Hospital Nicholson Center develops first comprehensive robotic surgical training curriculum

Using input from national experts, Center creates unique robotic surgery training kit to enhance safety and communication

With the input of more than 80 renowned robotic surgeons, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Florida Hospital Nicholson Center announces the breakthrough development of the first comprehensive robotic surgical training curriculum, the Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery (FRS) program. The program, including an online curriculum and a psychomotor skills device, covers three important skillsets: cognitive, psychomotor and team training and communication skills. The psychomotor skills device called the FRS dome is a key component of the program and is the first robotic training device of its kind to incorporate practical 3D applications for practice.

There is a great need to standardize the training process for robotic surgery in order to reduce physician error and ensure they are ready for the operating room. Dr. Roger Smith, CTO of the Nicholson Center, in conjunction with a team of experts from around the country, led this effort. Along with members of the DOD, VHA and governing surgical societies, the Center developed the curriculum based on 25 outcome measures across 14 specialties to form the FRS program. The FRS dome component combines seven core FRS exercises on a portable, storable and reusable dome-shaped device.

To create the FRS dome, the expert surgeons convened multiple consensus conferences and began generating ideas via a Venn diagram of qualities to be included in the physical device. The experts decided on a semi-spherical 3D surface that would allow surgeons to manipulate the product at all angles and practice a variety of cuts and sutures. The results led to the creation of the hard dome shell with magnetically attached towers, an outer flesh-colored skin layer and a yellow fat layer with embedded vessels.

“Robotic surgery procedures are growing in popularity across the globe, with nearly half a million conducted worldwide last year,” said Roger Smith, PhD, Chief Technology Officer at the Nicholson Center. “Our FRS curriculum and dome is designed to ensure doctors are adequately prepared for every situation in robotic surgery, from physical execution to communication. Future implications could mean this training is required for doctors at the end of residency or a fellowship – the first time a standard like this has been set for robotics.”