Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2025 Aug 11;19(1):477.
doi: 10.1007/s11701-025-02545-5.

Korean essentials of robotic surgery (KEROS) program for novice robotic surgeons: evaluating the educational impact and participant satisfaction of simulation training for developing robotic surgical skills

Jae Seung Kang  1   2 , Munseok Choi  3 , Song Soo Yang  4 , Soo Yeun Park  5 , Yejong Park  6 , Sejin Lee  7 , Yoo Min Kim  8 , Se-Jin Baek  9 , Jae Hoon Lee  10
Affiliations
Observational Study

Korean essentials of robotic surgery (KEROS) program for novice robotic surgeons: evaluating the educational impact and participant satisfaction of simulation training for developing robotic surgical skills

Jae Seung Kang et al. J Robot Surg. .

Abstract

Introduction: As robotic surgery expands, standardized training is crucial for novice robotic surgeons. The Korean Essentials of Robotic Surgery (KEROS) program, developed by the Korean Society of Endo-laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, offers such training. This study evaluates KEROS's educational effectiveness and participant satisfaction.

Methods: Surgeons applied online for this prospective observational study. The KEROS program was conducted in 2023 and covered hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP), colorectal (CR), and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) divisions. Training included SimNow simulation, practice using synthetic models (Step I), and practice using a porcine model (Step II). Baseline experience was assessed via questionnaires. Objective surgical skillfulness was evaluated using structured checklists, and satisfaction was measured using Likert-scale surveys.

Results: Thirty-six surgeons participated. Baseline data revealed that 40% of the participants had no prior robotic training, and 50% had no first-assistant experience. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program's components, particularly the Step II animal model training, which was highly rated for realism and skill enhancement. The SimNow simulator was rated helpful for understanding the concept of using a third arm, finding a comfortable hand position using the clutch, and improving camera control skills. Questionnaire responses demonstrated reliable internal consistency (Cronbach index 0.69-0.85). Post-training, objective assessments using checklists during Step II animal model training revealed significant skill proficiency across all divisions (mean score: HBP 30.1/36, CR 85.4/100, UGI 82.3/100).

Conclusions: The KEROS program effectively enhances robotic surgical skills through a structured, simulation-based approach. High satisfaction and objective skill improvement support its role in robotic surgical education.

Keywords: Robotic surgery; Simulation training.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This prospective, uncontrolled, observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Korea University Guro Hospital and Korea University College of Medicine (approval number: 2024GR0175). Consents to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

References

    1. Lu J, Cuff RF, Mansour MA (2021) Simulation in surgical education. Am J Surg. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.12.016 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rogers MP, DeSantis AJ, Janjua H, Barry TM, Kuo PC (2021) The future surgical training paradigm: virtual reality and machine learning in surgical education. Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2020.09.040 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shahrezaei A, Sohani M, Taherkhani S, Zarghami SY (2024) The impact of surgical simulation and training technologies on general surgery education. BMC Med Educ. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06299-w - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Jeon C, Seo HS, Jung YJ, Park CH, Song KY (2018) The da vinci xi system in robotic gastric cancer surgery: a comparison with the s system. J Minim Invas Surg. https://doi.org/10.7602/jmis.2018.21.3.112 - DOI
    1. Alshalawi W, Lee CS, Kim IK, Lee YS (2023) Initial experience of abdominal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer using the da Vinci single port system. J Minim Invas Surg. https://doi.org/10.7602/jmis.2023.26.4.208 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources