Intensive laparoscopic training course for surgical residents: program description, initial results, and requirements

The Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona has created an intensive laparoscopic training course for surgical residents featuring a combined simulation laboratory and live swine model. We herein report the essential components to design and implement a rigorous training course for developing laparoscopic skills in surgical residents.

At our institution, we developed a week-long pilot intensive laparoscopic training course. Six surgical residents (ranging from interns to chief residents) participate in the structured, multimodality course, without any clinical responsibilities. It consists of didactic instruction, laboratory training, practice in the simulation laboratory, and performance (under the direction of attending laparoscopic surgeons) of surgical procedures on pigs. The pigs are anesthetized and attended by veterinarians and technicians, and then euthanized at the end of each day. Three teams of two different training-level residents are paired. Daily briefing, debriefing, and analysis are performed at the close of each session. A written paper survey is completed at the end of the course.

This report describes the results of first 36 surgical residents trained in six courses. Preliminary data reveal that all 36 now feel more comfortable handling laparoscopic instruments and positioning trocars; they now perform laparoscopic surgery with greater confidence and favor having the course as part of their educational curriculum.

A multimodality intensive laparoscopic training course should become a standard requirement for surgical residents, enabling them to acquire basic and advanced laparoscopic skills on a routine basis.