Table 1.
Time to Completion of the 4 Tasks
| Group | Beans | Small Rings | Pearl Necklace | Suture and Knot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical students | ||||
| Conventional laparoscopy | 55.3 ± 6.0 | 213.3 ± 37.2 | 260.1 ± 31.6 | 284.5 ± 31.6 |
| Conventional mini | 80.0 ± 7.1 | 170.6 ± 31.6 | 204.2 ± 22.9 | 228.1 ± 24.4 |
| Low-friction mini | 66.1 ± 6.0 | 137.3 ± 31.8 | 168.5 ± 24.1 | 185.2 ± 34.8 |
| Surgical residents | ||||
| Conventional laparoscopy | 35.8 ± 4.1 | 135.5 ± 10.6 | 239.3 ± 8.7 | 243.1 ± 9.0 |
| Conventional mini | 67.4 ± 6.5 | 95.2 ± 5.5 | 204.9 ± 9.1 | 192.8 ± 7.7 |
| Low-friction mini | 50.4 ± 5.1 | 67.6 ± 6.3 | 164.9 ± 17.3 | 136.3 ± 10.5 |
Average times are shown in seconds (mean ± SD) for the 3 laparoscopic instrument designs: 5-mm conventional laparoscopy, 3-mm conventional minilaparoscopy, and 3-mm low-friction minilaparoscopy. The results of all comparisons—conventional vs. conventional mini, conventional vs. low-friction mini, and conventional mini vs. low-friction mini—showed statistically significant differences for the 4 tasks. P < 0.0001.