Comparative study of the influence of 2-D and 3-D imaging on the speed of performing laparoscopic surgical skills

Abstract

During the following years, three-dimensional imaging system have been developing in an attempt to improve depth perception during minimal access surgery. This work aims at an objective evaluation ofthe suggested advantage of3-dimensional vision, viz., depth perception. This carried out by comparing the speed of execution of laparoscpic tasks that require depth perception, using a 2-D and a new version of the 3-D system (this is an experimental study on pelvi -trainers).

Forty-three surgeons participated in the study, twenty-three of them were residents, and were, therefor, considered novice laparoscopic. The other twenty surgeons were general surgery staff members, and were, therefore, considered skilled laparoscpoic.

The time needed for each surgeon to finish the task using both systems is measured,

By usmg paired t-test for means showed that the time used to finish the laparoscopic task with the 3-D system is significantly sh01ter than that for the 2-D system P(two-

tailed) = 0.0078

That means that three-dimensional laparoscopy allows faster performance of laparoscopic surgical tasks, and with the use of second-generation systems this advantage applies to expert as well as novice laproscopists.