Technical and technological skills assessment in laparoscopic surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education and Training
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Structured assessment of technical skills is crucial for surgical practice and training but is not widely implemented.
• Laparoscopic surgery demands proficiency in both technical execution and technological aspects.
• Objective evaluation methods are needed to ensure surgeon competence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a tool for assessing technical and technological skills in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the developed assessment tool.
• To explore the potential application of this tool in surgical training and appraisal.

Main Methods:

• Checklists were created for generic, specific technical, and technological skills in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
• Two experienced surgeons independently assessed 100 laparoscopic cholecystectomy operations on DVD.
• Technological skills were evaluated in the operating room environment.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed 100 operations involving eight trainees and 10 consultant surgeons.
• High interrater reliability (kappa=0.88) was achieved, indicating consistent assessments.
• Significant construct validity was demonstrated for both technical and technological skills, differentiating between trainees and consultants.

Conclusions:

• A novel assessment tool effectively measures technical and technological skills in laparoscopic surgeons.
• The tool exhibits face, content, concurrent, and construct validities, making it adaptable for various laparoscopic procedures.
• This validated tool can be integrated into surgical training programs and performance appraisal systems.