Student Perceptions of Emerging Technologies in Laparoscopic Training: A Scoping Review and Implications for Surgical Instrumentation

Background: Laparoscopic surgery requires technical, perceptual and psychomotor skills that differ from those used in open surgery. Simulation, box trainers, virtual reality and augmented reality have therefore been incorporated into surgical education to support safe, repeated practice before exposure to real clinical scenarios. However, evidence on students’ perceptions of these technologies remains dispersed, and direct evidence for Surgical Instrumentation students is particularly limited. Objective: To map the available evidence on health sciences students’ perceptions of emerging technologies in laparoscopic training and to identify implications for Surgical Instrumentation education. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidance. The review question was structured using the PCC framework: population, health sciences and surgical training students; concept, perceptions of emerging technologies; and context, laparoscopic surgery education. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Redalyc and Google Scholar were searched for publications in English or Spanish from January 2020 to March 2025. Two reviewers independently screened records and resolved disagreements by consensus. Findings were synthesized narratively. Results: A total of 1,800 records were identified. Fifty-seven full-text reports were assessed, and 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Ten of the 11 studies reported favorable perceptions of emerging technologies, mainly related to confidence, satisfaction, perceived safety, self-efficacy and opportunities for repeated practice. Most studies involved medical students, surgical residents, nursing students or mixed surgical trainees; only one study directly addressed Surgical Instrumentation students. Conclusions: Emerging technologies are generally perceived favorably in laparoscopic training, but their educational value depends on structured pedagogy, feedback, faculty development, access to equipment, and objective assessment. The limited direct evidence in Surgical Instrumentation supports the need for multicenter studies, validated perception instruments and competency-based evaluations adapted to this professional field.