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FLS skill retention (learning) in first year surgery residents
David A Edelman1, Mark A Mattos, David L Bouwman
1Department of Surgery, Surgical Simulation Skills Laboratory, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. dedelman@med.wayne.edu
The Journal of Surgical Research
|July 8, 2010
Summary
Surgical residents demonstrated significant retention of Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) skills up to 8 months post-training, with some tasks showing full retention. This indicates effective FLS training for improving surgical proficiency.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Medical Simulation
- Laparoscopic Surgery Training
Background:
- Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) certification is a validated requirement by the American Board of Surgery.
- Understanding skill retention post-FLS training is crucial for optimizing resident education schedules.
- This study investigated the long-term skill decay after initial FLS training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the retention of surgical skills acquired through the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) training program.
- To evaluate the impact of time on performance levels in novice surgical residents (R01s) after FLS training.
- To determine the rate of skill deterioration for specific FLS tasks over several months.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of FLS performance data from 16 first-year surgical residents (R01s).
- Residents underwent 16 weekly training sessions including FLS tasks, virtual reality (VR) simulation, and open surgical skills.
- Performance metrics, specifically task completion times (TCTs), were measured before training (PRE), immediately after (POST), and at a delayed interval (DELAY).
Main Results:
- Post-training task completion times (POST TCTs) were significantly lower than pre-training times (PRE TCTs) for all FLS tasks.
- No significant difference was observed between delayed (DELAY) and post-training (POST) TCTs for peg transfer and pattern cut tasks.
- Delayed TCTs were longer than POST TCTs for extracorporeal and intracorporeal knot-tying, with relative retention rates varying by task (e.g., 103% for peg transfer, 59% for intracorporeal knot tying).
Conclusions:
- The FLS training curriculum effectively imparted surgical skills to novice residents.
- Significant skill retention was observed at 7-8 months post-training, despite average performance declines in some tasks.
- Regular training sessions are recommended to help residents maintain or enhance their surgical skill levels over time.
