Mental training in surgical education: a randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Cognitive Training

Background:

• Surgeons require fine-motor skills under stress, akin to professional athletes.
• Mental training, or imagery, is established in sports psychology.
• This study investigated mental training's efficacy in surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a cognitive training method on laparoscopic cholecystectomy performance.
• To compare mental training with practical training and a control group in surgical simulation.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of mental rehearsal in laparoscopic surgery training.

Main Methods:

• 98 surgeons in a randomized controlled trial received mental training, practical training, or no additional training.
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was simulated using the Pelvi-Trainer simulator.
• Performance was assessed using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) checklist and global rating scale.

Main Results:

• The mental training group showed significant improvement in the OSATS task-specific checklist score compared to controls.
• Mental training yielded better outcomes than practical training on key assessment scales.
• No significant differences were found in the global rating scale between groups.

Conclusions:

• Additional mental training effectively optimizes laparoscopic cholecystectomy training outcomes.
• Mental training is a cost-effective method with superior results in specific assessment scales compared to practical training.
• Cognitive strategies enhance surgical skill acquisition in simulated environments.