Training and credentialing in robotic urological surgery

Abstract

Robotic urological surgery (RUS) has undergone an exponential growth in the last decade and robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is now the most commonly performed robotic procedure. Although guidelines for the safe initiation of this technology are an overwhelming necessity, no standardized credentialing system currently exists to assess competency and safety of the RUS surgeon. An absence of an established training and credentialing protocol for RUS can result in unnecessary complications – both surgical and medicolegal. Above all, it can potentially compromise the safety of the patient undergoing the surgical procedure. Various educational formats including residency, fellowship, “mini-residency,” proctoring, teleproctoring, preceptoring, and simulation can provide the requisite training and evaluation for robotic urological surgeons. However, the need of the hour is the establishment of a central credentialing authority that supervises these educational endeavors and lays down the framework for common guidelines for the safe initiation of a robotic program in any institution.