Related Experiment Videos
Optimal teaching environment for laparoscopic splenectomy.
B T Heniford1, C L Backus, B D Matthews
1Department of General Surgery, Carolinas Laparoscopic and Advanced Surgery Program, Carolinas Medical Center, P.O. Box 32861, Charlotte, NC 28232, USA. Theniford@carolinas.org
American Journal of Surgery
|May 30, 2001
Summary
Surgeons who received hands-on operating room training (preceptorship) were significantly more likely to perform laparoscopic splenectomy than those who only attended a course. Preceptorship is crucial for adopting advanced laparoscopic techniques.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Laparoscopic Techniques
Background:
- Traditional surgical skill acquisition relies on residency training.
- Minimal access surgery necessitates new training paradigms post-residency.
- The effectiveness of animate courses versus preceptorship for new skills is unassessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of an animate course versus intraoperative preceptorship in learning laparoscopic splenectomy.
- To assess the impact of training method on the adoption of laparoscopic splenectomy.
Main Methods:
- Attending surgeons (n=37 course, n=15 precepted) were surveyed on prior and post-intervention experience.
- Data collected included prior laparoscopy experience and post-intervention laparoscopic splenectomy procedures.
- Statistical analysis used t-tests to compare groups.
Main Results:
- Precepted surgeons performed laparoscopic splenectomy more readily (93% vs 6%; P<0.0001).
- Precepted surgeons performed more procedures (112 vs 4; P=0.0003).
- Non-precepted surgeons performed more open splenectomies (95 vs 13; P=0.02).
Conclusions:
- Intraoperative preceptorship leads to greater adoption of laparoscopic splenectomy compared to courses alone.
- Pre-intervention experience did not differ between groups.
- Precepted experience is essential for surgeons to perform advanced laparoscopic procedures.