The integrated deviation in the HUESAD (Hiroshima University Endoscopic Surgical Assessment Device) represents the surgeon´s visual-spatial ability

This institution developed the Hiroshima University Endoscopic Surgical Assessment Device (HUESAD). HUESAD is a reliable system for objectively assessing a surgeon´s skill on the basis of the direction and movement of laparoscopic long instruments. Previous studies calculated the integrated deviation, the peak velocity and the approach time from the HUESAD. However, what these three dexterity parameters (the integrated deviation, the peak velocity, the approaching time) in the HUESAD represent concerning the surgeons´ ability remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the three dexterity parameters in the HUESAD are associated with the surgeon´s visual-spatial ability. This study recruited 58 medical students (17 female). The laparoscopic surgical skills of medical students were assessed using the HUESAD. The participants performed HUESAD tasks 10 times. Thereafter, they answered the Sense of Direction Questionnaire Short Form (SDQ-S). Spearman´s rank coefficients of correlation were calculated for assessing the association between the SDQ-S and the three dexterity parameters in the HUESAD. There was significant difference between males and females in the SDQ-S score (male: 3.45 ± 0.10, female: 2.45 ± 0.18, P = 0.002). Moreover, There was a correlation between the SDQ-S score and the integrated deviation (r = - 0.28, P = 0.012). There were no correlations between the SDQ-S score and the peak velocity and the approaching time. The study was able to assess the surgeon´s visual spatial ability objectively by examining the integrated deviation using HUESAD.