Exposure and perception of general surgery residents' toward robotic-assisted surgeries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: Robotic surgery is one of the rapidly expanding technologies in the field of medicine. It has been implemented since 2000; and its use has expanded over the past years. Da Vinci system was first introduced to the Middle East in 2003 by Saudi Arabia; then over the following 15 years it was utilized by other gulf countries. With the expanding knowledge of this technology and the effectiveness of its utilization; formal training programs were introduced by many hospitals. However; there are no established credentialing standards or well-structured curriculum to provide this training in the gulf region. Method: This we aim to understand the perception of general surgery residents toward robotic surgery training in tertiary care centers in Riyadh; Saudi Arabia. An anonymous web based survey was conducted on general surgery residents enrolled in Saudi Commission for health specialties approved residency training hospitals in Riyadh. Results: 50% of GS residents were involved in robotic assisted surgery which was significantly associated with the presence of robotic machines in their training centers (P0.025). Sixty Percent of residents who were involved in RAS did not receive a formal training prior to their participation, barely even a brief introduction. Conclusion: exposure and education about RAS at early training years showed that residents have better technical performance during their fellowship training. However, it should not the main focus of the training.