Establishing an endoscopy unit for surgical training

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is slowly returning to the core of surgical resident training. The intent is to integrate endoscopy into the mainstream of surgical education such that it will be approached and used the same as any of the many diagnostic and therapeutic tools at the surgeon's disposal. The current feeling is that although endoscopy should be intimately incorporated into training, there is a level of technical expertise required such that a dedicated teaching experience must be provided. This education must be directed by a surgeon experienced in endoscopy; we should not abdicate this responsibility to others. The training program should be founded on education, clinical practice, and research, with technical skills to begin in PGY 2 or PGY 3 and be incorporated throughout the remainder of training. Quality assurance should be monitored closely but not separately from that of the surgical service. Certification of the resident should not depend on numbers, nor be specifically singled out from the body of surgery. There is adequate patient demand to establish the endoscopy unit under the supervision of a surgeon, either as a separate unit or as part of the surgical clinic. However, as the number of endoscopic procedures performed approaches 600 per year, a fully dedicated endoscopy room and full-time gastrointestinal assistant technician are required. The most efficient method of postsedation recovery is through coordination with an ambulatory surgery unit or postoperative recovery room. The current standard for equipment is video endoscopy in order to provide the most efficient method for surgical training.