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Hand dominance and performance in a laparoscopic skills curriculum
T W Powers1, D J Bentrem, A P Nagle
1Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Surgical Endoscopy
|March 11, 2005
Summary
Hand dominance influences initial laparoscopic skill acquisition, with left-hand-dominant surgeons performing better initially. However, a laparoscopic skills curriculum equalized performance between left- and right-hand-dominant surgeons by the end.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Laparoscopic Skills Training
- Motor Skill Acquisition
Background:
- Hand dominance is a factor in motor skill acquisition.
- Its influence on laparoscopic skill acquisition in surgical residents is not fully understood.
- This study investigates hand dominance effects within a basic laparoscopic skills curriculum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of hand dominance on skill acquisition in surgical residents undergoing laparoscopic training.
- To compare the initial and final performance of left-hand-dominant (LHD) and right-hand-dominant (RHD) surgical residents.
- To determine if a standardized curriculum mitigates differences in skill acquisition based on hand dominance.
Main Methods:
- A 4-week laparoscopic skills curriculum was implemented for 27 surgical residents (PGY-2 and PGY-3).
- Residents were assessed using pre- and posttests on six laparoscopic tasks.
- Performance data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), with p < 0.05 indicating significance.
Main Results:
- Overall posttest scores were significantly higher than pretest scores, indicating improved performance after the curriculum.
- On pretesting, left-hand-dominant (LHD) surgeons (n=4) outperformed right-hand-dominant (RHD) surgeons (n=23), particularly in pattern cutting and vessel loop tasks.
- Posttest analysis revealed no significant difference in overall performance between LHD and RHD surgeons.
Conclusions:
- Participation in the laparoscopic skills curriculum enhanced overall surgical resident performance.
- While LHD surgeons showed superior initial skills, the training program effectively closed the performance gap.
- Hand dominance does not appear to be a long-term barrier to laparoscopic skill acquisition with standardized training.
