This study addresses the development of a single-port (SP) robotic training platform designed to meet the unique skill requirements of SP surgery, as distinct from multi-port (MP) robotics. Although SP robotics offers comparable outcomes to MP systems, its safe adoption is challenged by the need for specialized, platform-specific training. Currently, no standardized SP curriculum exists to support these skills. To bridge this gap, a customizable training platform with hydrogel-based surgical tasks was created using a Delphi Expert Consensus approach, involving 22 SP robotics experts across three phases. The consensus-building process included 250 questions in categories covering the curriculum’s utility, simulation-based components, and surgical performance assessment. Questions that reached a content validity index of ≥0.80 informed the design of a prototype training dome with standardized, consensus-derived models.
Pilot testing of the prototype, conducted during a SP hands-on training course with expert instructors, showed promising results. Feedback, gathered through a 5-point Likert scale, indicated strong support for the platform’s realism and effectiveness. A substantial portion of questions (34%) achieved consensus, and 63.5% of these consensus questions saw 100% agreement. Experts identified 11 basic and 7 advanced SP-specific skills, which were incorporated into the curriculum through 3D-printed and hydrogel-cast tasks, including extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy and retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy models. Results showed 100%, 87.5%, and 75% agreement among experts on the platform’s realism, its effectiveness in training core skills, and the likelihood that repeated practice on these models would enhance SP surgical performance.
This customizable, consensus-based SP platform offers a practical solution for skill development in SP surgery, providing surgeons with a realistic, procedural training method that may improve patient safety.
