2024 Children's of Alabama/UAB Annual Report

“ “There’s a movement in urology to ‘gamify’ the robot. Such training is vital to the safety of our patients.”

– CARMEN TONG, D.O.

“We’re sitting at the robot using real instruments,” Tong said. “They may have perfected those simulator games. But when you’re actually holding the needle with the robotic instrument, it’s very different.” Ultimately, she said, “When they’re ready to perform those skills on an actual patient, it’s not their first time.”

Even though the gaming sessions aren’t mandatory, “almost all residents participate.” That, she said, “says a lot about the program’s success.”

The residents aren’t the only ones playing with Tater Bot, which the surgical robot was named following a hospital-wide naming contest. Two patients, who underwent surgery with the device, have also had a chance to play the games. Tong brought in some hospital administrators to play with the new equipment as well. The two most challenging skills to learn are spatial awareness and manipulating tissue so it doesn’t tear. “One of the harder things to grasp with the robot is tactile feedback,” Tong said. “You just don’t know how hard you’re pulling because it isn’t the same as having your hand in there. But with practice, you learn how to be gentler. But that takes a really long time to master.”

Most residents won’t complete their first robotic surgery on a real patient until the end of the five-year program. “They have to prove that they understand the advantages and the shortcomings of the robot in order to be a safe and competent surgeon,” Tong said. “It’s essentially practice, practice, practice.”

2024 Academic Annual Report

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