Departmental analysis of robotic cadaver surgical training outcomes at Tottori university robotic surgery training and medical device innovation center.

Abstract

Cadaver surgical training (CST) plays an essential role in surgical education and innovation by enabling hands-on practice under realistic anatomical conditions without compromising patient safety. In Japan, CST has expanded rapidly following the establishment of ethical and legal frameworks, and has contributed not only to technical training but also to anatomical discovery and surgical procedure development. However, interdepartmental perceptions of multidisciplinary robotic CST remain poorly characterized. We conducted a descriptive analysis of post-course questionnaires completed by participants in robotic CST programs held at the Tottori University Robotic Surgery Training and Medical Device Innovation Center (ToRSC) between September 2024 and September 2025. Participants were classified by specialty, and outcomes included training goal achievement, facility satisfaction, and cost evaluation. Results were summarized descriptively by department. A total of 85 participants from multiple surgical specialties were included. Most respondents reported moderate to high achievement of training goals, with responses concentrated in the 80-100% and 50-80% achievement categories. Satisfaction with equipment and supplies/consumables was generally high across specialties, although some variation was observed among smaller departments. The majority of participants considered the participation fee appropriate. Multidisciplinary robotic CST conducted at ToRSC was associated with high perceived training goal achievement, high facility satisfaction, and broad acceptance of course costs across surgical specialties. These findings support the feasibility and educational value of robotic CST as a shared institutional platform for surgical education and innovation, while highlighting the importance of maintaining an ethical commitment to body donors and translating donor-based learning into improved patient care and societal benefit.