The impact of video endoscopy on surgical training

The impact of video endoscopy on surgical resident training was assessed by an analysis of 1531 endoscopic procedures (1057 video endoscopy and 474 fiberoptic endoscopy) and a standardized questionnaire response of surgical staff and residents. Video endoscopy provided advantages in the following areas: 1) Technical. Superior quality of image with a significantly greater resolution. 2) Procedural. Multiple simultaneous viewers for teaching and increased coordination for therapeutic maneuvers. 3) Educational. "Freeze frame" capability for real time teaching; video taping for subsequent consultation, review, or teaching conference, video tape evaluation at preoperative conferences, and archive of video tape for teaching file. 4) Documentation. For use review and quality assurance or for patient education. 5) Research. Investigation of video image enhancement techniques. 6) Physical comfort. Relief of many causes of strain and fatigue and elimination of potential danger to the endoscopist in certain therapeutic maneuvers. Residents learned video and fiberoptic endoscopy equally well, requiring only 3 to 5 procedures to learn each type of system. Experience in this teaching program indicates a decided advantage to incorporating video endoscopy into surgical residency training. After more than 1000 video endoscopy procedures, the novelty has worn off but enthusiasm persists; the video system is now a workhorse that provides greater technical capabilities and broader educational horizons while returning endoscopy to the realm of surgical education.