• S Sereno, D Mutter, B Dallemagne, C D Smith, and Jacques Marescaux.
• IRCAD/EITS, University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
• Surg Innov. 2007 Sep 1; 14 (3): 184-91.

AbstractHands-on training courses with local mentoring are excellent educational tools in laparoscopic surgery; however, the need for the physical presence of specialized instructors represents a limitation because of costs, time, and geographic constraints. Remote robotic telementoring using a wireless videoconferencing mobile robot could represent an alternative to local instruction. The authors compare local active and passive mentoring with remote robotic telementoring using the wireless RP-6 Robot that worked through a WiFi 802.11b connection during a hands-on laparoscopic training session. Surgeons were mentored once in France from the United States. Robot mentoring was well received and appreciated (assessment score of 2.65; scale, 0 to 4). There was no statistical difference in the different mentoring sessions (active, passive, and remote). Mobile wireless robot is a valuable tool in laparoscopic telementoring. Robotic-assisted telementoring may not replace onsite mentoring, but it may enhance educational opportunities and the quality of hands-on training courses by implementing tutoring with expert assistance from remote locations.

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