2005 Abstracts: Visuospatial Skills Improve the Performance of Senior Endoscopists in Virtual Colonoscopy
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Visuospatial Skills Improve the Performance of Senior Endoscopists in Virtual Colonoscopy
Lars Enochsson, Dept of Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital - Huddinge, Sweden, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Bo Westman, Dept of Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital - Huddinge, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Ann Kjellin, Dept of surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Torsten Wredmark, Li Felländer-Tsai, Dept of orthopaedics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
Background: Visuospatial skills have been demonstrated to predict the performance of medical students in virtual endoscopy. Little has, however, been reported whether differences in visuospatial abilities can influence the performance of senior endoscopists or whether their vast endoscopy experience reduces the importance of these skills.
Methods: Eleven senior endoscopists were included. Prior to the virtual endoscopies in GI-mentor II, Simbionix® (Gastroscopy: Case 3, module 1 and Colonoscopy: Case 3, module 1) they performed three visuospatial tests: 1/picsor, 2/card rotation, and 3/cube comparison tests which monitor the ability of the tested person to create a 3-D image from a 2-D presentation. The results of the visuospatial tests were correlated to the performance parameters of the virtual endoscopy simulator. Results: Percent of time spent with clear view in the virtual colonoscopy correlated well with the performance of the Picsor (r2=0,57, p=0.007) and the card rotation tests (r2=0,57, p=0.008). The endoscopists who performed better in the card rotation tests significantly less lost the visibility of the colonlumen (r2=0,37, p=0.048) and also formed less loops during colonoscopy (r2=0,40, p=0.036). In the technically less demanding virtual gastroscopy there were no such correlations. Conclusion: Good visuospatial skills seem to improve the outcome of experienced endoscopists in a technically demanding virtual colonoscopy whereas there is no such effect in the less demanding gastroscopy.
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