Automated surgical skill assessment in colorectal surgery using a deep learning-based surgical phase recognition model

There is an increasing demand for automated surgical skill assessment to solve issues such as subjectivity and bias that accompany manual assessments. This study aimed to verify the feasibility of assessing surgical skills using a surgical phase recognition model.

A deep learning-based model that recognizes five surgical phases of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy was constructed, and its ability to distinguish between three skill-level groups—the expert group, with a high Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) score (26 videos); the intermediate group, with a low ESSQS score (32 videos); and the novice group, with an experience of < 5 colorectal surgeries (27 videos)—was assessed. Furthermore, 1 272 videos were divided into three groups according to the ESSQS score: ESSQS-high, ESSQS-middle, and ESSQS-low groups, and whether they could be distinguished by the score calculated by multiple regression analysis of the parameters from the model was also evaluated.

The time for mobilization of the colon, time for dissection of the mesorectum plus transection of the rectum plus anastomosis, and phase transition counts were significantly shorter or less in the expert group than in the intermediate (p = 0.0094, 0.0028, and < 0.001, respectively) and novice groups (all p < 0.001). Mesorectal excision time was significantly shorter in the expert group than in the novice group (p = 0.0037). The group with higher ESSQS scores also had higher AI scores.

This model has the potential to be applied to automated skill assessments.