Laparoscopic and robotic surgical training in urology

The most important change in urology during the past decade was the development of minimally invasive surgery, particularly laparoscopy. However, the main drawback of laparoscopy is a steep learning curve, which results from the significant changes in the surgical environment. Although laparoscopy can provide important advantages for the patient, including decreased length of hospitalization, decreased analgesic requirement, and a shortened postoperative convalescence, one concern has been whether laparoscopic techniques should be learned solely in the operating room. For example, sports, music, and aviation are practiced before an actual performance is ever undertaken. In this review, the advantages and limitations of all available training modalities in minimally invasive surgery are described. Testing basic laparoscopic skills on inanimate models, becoming familiar with the principles of dissection and hemostasis on living animals, and studying surgical anatomy on cadavers should be considered as indispensable and complementary elements for laparoscopic training in the future. In addition, telementoring with the help of modern image processing and virtual reality eventually may become the basis of tomorrow’s surgical instruction. © 2003, Current Science Inc.