The Learning Curve in Robotic HPB Surgery: Myth, Metrics, and Misinterpretations

Background

The evolution of robotic surgery has widened the indications for minimally invasive hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, making possible the execution of more complicated cases. Within this context, the learning curve concept is now an essential factor when assessing surgical training and expertise, as well as patient safety within a robotic HPB program. Nevertheless, existing methodologies often make use of procedure volume and surrogate intraoperative measures, which may be an insufficient way to define surgical competence.