Phase-specific learning curves in robot-assisted rectal surgery: implications for surgical training.

PURPOSE: Techniques for abdominal and pelvic manipulation vary in robot-assisted rectal surgery (RRS); thus, differences in the learning period between these two phases remain unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included 75 patients diagnosed with rectal malignancy who underwent RRS from September 2019 to May 2024. The cumulative sum method was used to analyze the learning curve and compare between abdominal and pelvic phases.

RESULTS

The learning curve for the total console time consisted of three phases: I (learning phase, cases 1-25), II (consolidation phase, cases 26-55), and III (maturing phase, cases 56-71). The learning curve for the abdominal phase involved two phases: I (learning phase, cases 1-23) and II (maturing phase, cases 24-71), with no consolidation phase observed. Conversely, in the pelvic phase, the learning phase was achieved in 27 cases, followed by the consolidation phase in 32 cases (cases 28-59) and the maturing phase in the last 16 cases (cases 60-75).

CONCLUSIONS

The learning period during RRS was shorter for the abdominal manipulation than for the pelvic manipulation, considering the absence of the consolidation phase. Education and training that consider these points may be useful for the more efficient learning of RRS.