Wet Lab Simulation

Complete three years of annual wet lab training exercises.

Available Courses

1. STS Workshop on Robotic Thoracic Surgery (USA) - 2-day course with 6+ hours of hands-on and explicit wet-lab time (Foundations & Advanced tracks: lobectomy, thymectomy, segmentectomy; complex segmentectomy, sleeves, esophagectomy).
2. AATS Foundation – Thoracic Surgical Robotics Fellowship (USA) - Society-run program that includes a lab day on KindHeart tissue and a surgeon/faculty-led lab; followed by required clinical cases and a Clinical Procedure Skills Training day. Competitive but open to public applicants.
3. IRCAD Strasbourg – Advanced Course in Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (France) - Curriculum includes hands-on training on live tissue (pig) and simulators for RATS (e.g., lobectomy/lymphadenectomy on porcine model).
4. ESTS Robotic School @ ORSI Academy (Belgium) - ESTS-led 2-day bootcamp specifically notes virtual, dry-lab and wet-lab training hosted at ORSI.
5. ORSI Academy
6. EACTS / Intuitive – Thoracic Robotic Surgery (Europe) - EACTS runs thoracic robotics courses; while agendas vary by date/location, the Academy advertises in-person training and small-group practical sessions.
7. UPMC – Center for Advanced Robotic Training (USA) - Institutional program offering performance of robotic thoracic procedures within a structured lab/simulation pathway.
8. TSDA / STS Resident Bootcamp

Resources for Local Wet Labs:

We also have resources to help institutions set up their own wet labs locally. See this peer-reviewed journal article with description of simulation exercises that could be set up at home institution: Grossi S, Cattoni M, Rotolo N, Imperatori A. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery simulation and training: a comprehensive literature review. BMC Med Educ. 2023;23(1):535. Published 2023 Jul 27. doi:10.1186/s12909-023-04482-z