Validation Study of a Portable Home Trainer Using a Pad for Laparoscopic Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Education
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic surgery requires specialized psychomotor skills.
• Standard training models can be expensive and inaccessible.
• There is a need for cost-effective simulation tools for laparoscopic training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and validate a novel, homemade laparoscopic trainer (HT).
• To assess the efficacy of the HT in teaching basic and complex laparoscopic skills.
• To compare the HT's performance against a standard laparoscopic trainer.

Main Methods:

• A stainless steel model simulating the abdominal cavity was developed.
• Thirty-four participants (19 experts, 15 novices) performed standardized tasks.
• Performance metrics were compared between the HT and a standard trainer.
• Participant feedback on the HT's effectiveness was collected.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in performance were found between the HT and the standard trainer for either group (P > .05).
• Experts demonstrated statistically significant better performance than novices on both trainers (P < .05).
• High approval rates for the HT were reported by both experts (84%) and novices (87%).

Conclusions:

• The homemade laparoscopic trainer is a cost-effective and efficient tool for developing laparoscopic psychomotor skills.
• The HT provides a valid alternative to standard trainers for surgical skill acquisition.
• The developed HT meets the criteria for effective training in basic and complex laparoscopic procedures.