Virtual reality uterine resectoscopic simulator: face and construct validation and comparative evaluation in an educational environment

Background and Objectives:

Recognizing that resectoscopic simulation may have an educational role, this pilot study was designed to evaluate the face validity and educational utility of a virtual reality uterine resectoscope training system.

Methods:

A pilot prospective comparative study of novice and expert hysteroscopists'' performance on a targeting exercise and myomectomy with the virtual loop electrode. At baseline, expert and novice resectoscopists each performed both exercises. Following instruction, novices practiced each exercise a total of 9 times with the 10th recorded as the training outcome. Results were compared both to baseline and to those of the experts. Data were analyzed with the paired t and Wilcoxon rank sum tests as appropriate.

Results:

At baseline, all experts touched 4 targets in a mean of 33 seconds with no perforations, compared to a mean of 2 for the 11 novices in a mean of 57 seconds (P=0.0034) with one perforation. In 3 minutes, the experts removed a mean of 97.3% of the virtual myoma, compared to 66.1% for the novices (P=0.0153). On the 10th “run,” novices touched a mean of 4 targets in a mean of 23 seconds, an improvement from baseline (P=0.0004) and improved to 89% on the myoma resection exercise (P=0.0515) 36.3% over baseline.

Conclusion:

Although this pilot study has a relatively small sample size and represents the results at one institution, it demonstrates that virtual reality resectoscopic systems have the potential to measure and improve the technical skills of novices before they operate on human patients.