Face, content, and construct validities of inanimate intestinal anastomoses simulation.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Gastrointestinal Surgery
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Current surgical simulation modules for open surgery are limited in scope and lack thorough validation.
• Existing simulations utilize synthetic materials with limited fidelity or expensive, inaccessible animal laboratories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an intestinal anastomosis simulation using thawed porcine intestine.
• To assess the face, content, and construct validities of this simulation for both hand-sewn and stapled techniques.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses on thawed porcine small bowel.
• Anastomoses were evaluated for adequacy, luminal narrowing, and bursting pressure.
• Face, content, and construct validities were assessed by comparing junior residents, senior residents, and faculty.

Main Results:

• Both hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses demonstrated strong face and content validity, with positive participant feedback.
• Significant differences in completion times for hand-sewn anastomoses were observed between junior and senior residents, and PGY-1 and faculty.
• Stapled anastomoses showed no significant differences in completion time or bursting pressure across skill levels.

Conclusions:

• Inanimate intestinal anastomoses using porcine tissue serve as valid simulations for intraoperative experience, particularly for hand-sewn techniques.
• The hand-sewn anastomosis simulation demonstrates good construct validity by differentiating between varying skill levels.
• While stapled anastomosis simulation lacks strong construct validity, the overall porcine model offers a promising training modality.