Postoperative video debriefing reduces technical errors in laparoscopic surgery
Giselle G Hamad1, Matthew T Brown, Julio A Clavijo-Alvarez
1Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, 3380 Boulevard of the Allies, Suite 390, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hamadg@upmc.edu
Background:
Because of the learning curve required to master laparoscopic procedures, there is a growing concern that patient safety may be compromised due to technical errors by a novice surgeon. We evaluated the effect of videotape debriefing on the performance of a complex laparoscopic procedure.
Methods:
Twenty-four surgical residents performed a laparoscopic jejunojejunal anastomosis under the supervision of a single laparoscopic surgeon. All procedures were videotaped. Half of the residents underwent video debriefing. Videotapes were analyzed for knot-tying time, anastomotic time, and frequency of minor technical errors and adverse events. The performance of the debriefed group was compared with a non-debriefed group.
Results:
Knot-tying time, minor errors, and anastomotic time were similar between the debriefed and non-debriefed groups. However, adverse events from technical errors were more frequent in the non-debriefed group (chi2 = 7.647, P = .006).
Conclusions:
Postoperative video debriefing is an effective educational tool for reducing adverse events during a complex laparoscopic procedure.
