Training Thoracic Surgery Residents in Robotic Surgery: Our Experience

The da Vinci robotic console (Intuitive Surgical) was approved for thoracic surgery in 2001, with 1.5 million robotic surgical procedures performed up to 2015.1 The advantages of robotic over the conventional video-assisted minimally invasive technique are considerable because of the complexity of certain anatomic compartments, such as the mediastinum, but it requires an experienced robotic thoracic surgeon and customized operating room facilities. Robotic training programs focus on reducing the learning curve for acquiring the technical skills required of thoracic robotic surgeons.