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Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures

Date:
February 27, 2013
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Laparoscopic surgeons may improve certain aspects of surgical performance by regularly playing on a Nintendo Wii, according to new research.
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Laparoscopic surgeons may improve certain aspects of surgical performance by regularly playing on a Nintendo® Wii, according to research published February 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Gregorio Patrizi and colleagues from the University of Rome, Italy.

Considering the technical skills required to perform laparascopic procedures, several studies aim to evaluate and improve training for surgeons outside the operating room. Previous studies have assessed the effect of playing video games on hand-eye coordination and spatial attention. In the current research, the authors combined these two aspects by analyzing how a four-week training regimen on the Nintendo® Wii impacted the laparoscopic skills of post-graduate residents in the first or second year of their surgical training. Half the surgeons were assigned to a training regimen on the Wii while the other half were not. Before and after the regimen, all the participants' performance was tested on a laparoscopic simulator.

The study found that participants in both groups improved their skills over the four week period, but those who had been trained on the Wii showed a significant improvement over the other group in their performance on several specific metrics like economy of instrument movements and efficient cautery. The study concludes, "The Nintendo® Wii might be helpful, inexpensive and entertaining part of the training of young laparoscopists, in addition to a standard surgical education based on simulators and the operating room."


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Journal Reference:

  1. Domenico Giannotti, Gregorio Patrizi, Giorgio Di Rocco, Anna Rita Vestri, Camilla Proietti Semproni, Leslie Fiengo, Stefano Pontone, Giorgio Palazzini, Adriano Redler. Play to Become a Surgeon: Impact of Nintendo WII Training on Laparoscopic Skills. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e57372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057372

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 February 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183500.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2013, February 27). Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183500.htm
Public Library of Science. "Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183500.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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