In-house colorectal laparoscopic preceptorship: a model for changing a unit's practice safely and efficiently

There has been steady increase in demand for laparoscopic colonic resection as benefits are manifold compared to open and include smaller incisions, less pain, quicker recovery and convalescence, reduced morbidity and reduced analgesic demands. We devised a preceptorship programme with the aim of all four coloproctologists in our unit becoming proficient colorectal laparoscopic surgeons over a period of 12 months.

The surgeon in the unit with significant experience of laparoscopic colorectal surgery acted as a preceptor to the remaining three. A prospective database was set up to allow analysis of the impact of the preceptorship on the units' elective practice and outcomes from January 2006.

Results were analysed 106 cases to assess the success of this novel method and were more than encouraging. During this period, 57 laparoscopic resections were performed compared 49 open resections. The proportion of patients undergoing laparoscopic resection had risen from 20% to 80% (p = 0.000). This was associated with a significant drop in post-operative stay from 14 to 4 days (p = 0.000). Analysis of patient demographics, pathology and type of resection found there to be no significant difference between the open and laparoscopic groups. The conversion rate was acceptably low (10.5%) and there were no re-admissions.

For hospitals with the facilities and an appropriately experienced preceptor, we offer this as a patient-safe, cost-neutral method of significantly increasing a units' laparoscopic practice over a relatively short period of time.