Influence of 2D and 3D images on performance and time estimation in minimal invasive surgery

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 2D and 3D images on time performance and time estimation during a surgical motor task. 60 subjects without any surgical experience (nurses) and 20 expert surgeons performed a fine surgical task with a new laparoscopic technology (da Vinci robotic system). The 80 subjects were divided into two groups, one using 3D view option and another using 2D view option. We measured time performance and asked subjects to verbally estimate their time performance. Our results showed faster performance in 3D than in 2D view for novice subjects while the performance in 2D and 3D was similar in the expert group. We obtained a significant interaction between time performance and time evaluation: in 2D condition, all subjects accurately estimated their time performance while they overestimated it in the 3D condition. Our results emphasize the role of 3D in improving performance and the contradictory feeling about time evaluation in 2D and 3D. This finding is discussed in regard with the retrospective paradigm and suggests that 2D and 3D images are differently processed and memorised.