Post written by Mark A. Gromski, MD, from the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, Suvranu De, ScD, from the College of Engineering, Florida A&M University-Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, and Doga Demirel, PhD, from the School of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.

This study focuses on developing and validating the virtual bariatric endoscopic (ViBE) simulator designed to replicate the steps of the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) procedure. The simulator incorporates a high-fidelity simulation environment and automated performance metrics to train and evaluate skills necessary for ESG, such as marking, suturing, and cinching.

The study addresses the challenges in training for ESG, a minimally invasive bariatric procedure. ESG requires a high level of expertise in endoscopic suturing, which presents a significant learning curve. Traditional training methods, including porcine models and apprentice-based approaches, are limited by accessibility, cost, and risks. The ViBE simulator offers a risk-free, customizable training environment that aims to enhance proficiency and accessibility to bariatric endoscopy skills.

The results demonstrate that the ViBE simulator provides a realistic and valuable training environment for ESG. Experts performed significantly better than novices with the simulation tasks, as shown by metrics such as smoothness of suturing and time to address adverse events.

The findings suggest the potential of virtual reality—based training to shorten the learning curve for ESG. Future directions include integrating high-fidelity haptic hardware and artificial intelligence—driven virtual assistants to further enhance training realism and interactivity.

Simulated suturing phase in the virtual bariatric endoscopic simulator.

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