Credentialing in laparoscopic surgery: a survey of physicians

Laparoscopic surgery is now established as a major advance in modern surgery. Assurance of adequate training and credentialing is still a significant problem. Using laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an example, a survey was conducted to assess what criteria surgeons deem necessary for training and credentialing in a laparoscopic procedure. One hundred and forty-nine questionnaires were completed by surgeons from academic and private practice. A total of 110 (74%) surgeons consider that a course involving a hands-on animal lab should be required. Ninety-two (84%) of them answered that a preceptorship also should be required (average of 6.42 as surgeon and 5.86 as assistant). Ninety-nine (66%) responders believe that a surgeon should serve a probationary period (average of 11.6 cases) with review of morbidity, prior to being given full privileges. No statistical difference was found when comparing the answers of academic surgeons with private practitioners or between surgeons who had performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy and those who had not.