Observation, Manipulation, and Eye-Hand Coordination Problems in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive method of surgery which is performed by using an endoscopic camera and long and slender instruments that are inserted through small incisions in the skin of the patient's abdomen. The surgeon performs the operation indirectly by manipulating the instruments and observing the camera pictures on a monitor. The advantage of this new technique is that it reduces the damage of the body and in principle also the risk of infection and the recovery time. Disadvantages are that it causes the surgeon to have observation, manipulation and eye-hand coordination problems. This paper describes a mental model of the surgeon's activities and it gives an overview on the observation, manipulation and eye-hand coordination problems in this new area of manual control.