Spatial Cognition in Surgical Practice: Exploring the Influence and Development of Spatial Cognitive Processes in Laparoscopic Skill Learning
General and Visceral Surgery
General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
Final Report Abstract
The ‘Spatial Cognition in Surgical Practice’ project investigated the role of spatial cognitive processes in laparoscopic surgery. Specifically, this project sought to determine which visuospatial abilities are important for intraoperative laparoscopic performance and how these abilities develop and influence laparoscopic skill acquisition of actual residency surgeons currently training in the operating theater over the scope of 27 months. This was achieved by exploring the current state of laparoscopic education in Germany, determining what makes up laparoscopic competence and exploring how visuospatial abilities relate to laparoscopic expertise and competence attainment. While laparoscopic surgery (also known as ‘keyhole surgery’) offers significant advantages to the patient, laparoscopy poses significant cognitive and technical challenges to the surgeon. Previous studies have already identified visuospatial abilities as important attributes underlying successful laparoscopic performance and skill development. However, these findings were not always corroborated, as some studies failed to find a positive effect of visuospatial ability on laparoscopic performance. The exact role that visuospatial abilities play in laparoscopy and how these abilities develop and influence laparoscopic skill acquisition of actual residency surgeons over a period of their residency training remained unclear. This project aimed to close the gap in the literature by addressing these uncertainties in clinical settings. The project results provide several novel insights on the role of visuospatial abilities in laparoscopy. A clear and systematic trend was observed throughout the project implicating spatial visualization ability as an important attribute underlying laparoscopic expertise and competence development. Different visuospatial abilities were found to play an important role in different stages of skill development. Together, these findings highlight that surgeons are made and not born. These findings carry important implications for laparoscopic education and inform cognitive psychology on the role of spatial cognition in skill acquisition.
Publications
- (2018). Spatial Cognition in Minimally Invasive Surgery: A Systematic Review. BMC Surgery. 18(94)
Vajsbaher T., Schultheis, H., & Francis, N.K.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12893-018-0416-1) - (2018). Surgeons Attitudes and Opinions Towards Training in Laparoscopic Surgery. Journal of Surgical Endoscopy, Special Issue: Proceedings of the 26th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES)
Vajsbaher, T., Müller, M., Schultheis, H. & Francis, N.K.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-018-6180-6) - (2019). Can visuospatial testing distinguish between experienced laparoscopic and novice surgeons? Journal of Surgical Endoscopy, Special Issue: Proceedings of the 27th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES)
Vajsbaher, T., Schultheis, H., Uslar, V., Weyhe D., & Francis, N. K.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-019-07109-x) - (2020). A multi-modal approach to cognitive training and assistance in minimally invasive surgery. Cognitive Systems Research, 64, pp 57-72
Vajsbaher, T., Ziemer, T., Schultheis, H.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2020.07.005) - (2020). The role of spatial cognition in surgical navigation in arthroscopic surgery. In Proceedings of Spatial Cognition XII Papers from 12th International Conference, Riga, Latvia
Vajsbaher, T., Schultheis, H., Sa-ngasoongsong, P., Watcharopas, R., Su Yin, M., Haddawy, P.
