This study introduces a customizable training platform specifically designed for skill development in single-port (SP) robotic surgery. While SP robotics can offer similar outcomes to multi-port (MP) platforms, they require specialized training to ensure safe adoption. Despite growing interest, SP robotics currently lack a standardized training curriculum, prompting this initiative to create an adaptable platform that includes hydrogel-based surgical tasks tailored for SP. Using a modified Delphi consensus approach, 22 SP experts contributed to designing the curriculum through 250 questions covering curriculum utility, components of SP simulation, and surgical performance assessment. The curriculum elements that achieved a content validity index of ≥0.80 informed the design of a prototype training dome, built with standardized models developed from the Delphi results.
The platform underwent pilot testing at an SP hands-on course, where expert instructors evaluated it using a 5-point Likert scale. Of the original questions, 34% reached consensus, with 63.5% of those questions achieving 100% agreement. Experts concurred that significant differences between SP and MP platforms create unique skill transfer challenges, and current training does not sufficiently address SP-specific needs. To address this, 11 basic and 7 advanced SP-specific skills were incorporated into the curriculum. Using 3D printing and hydrogel casting, six tasks and two complex procedures—extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy and retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy—were created to ensure comprehensive procedural training. During testing, 100% of experts agreed that the tasks provided a realistic training platform, 87.5% confirmed the relevance for basic and advanced skill acquisition, and 75% agreed that repeated practice would improve SP surgical performance. All experts validated the realism of the procedural models as a suitable preparation before live surgery.
