Impact of laparoscopic cholecystectomy on resident training: fifteen years later

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was first introduced to our surgical community in 1989. In 1993, McKellar reviewed the impact of laparoscopic cholecystectomy on 1 specific surgical training program. Fifteen years later, the authors reexamined the implications of laparoscopic surgery on resident competency with both open and laparoscopic biliary procedures. The data reveal a statistically significant increase in the percentage of laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed when compared with total cholecystectomies (open plus laparoscopic), as well as a trend toward decreasing numbers of total common bile duct explorations performed. A review of the literature that pertains to changes in resident training as related to laparoscopic procedures is included.