Pediatric Surgery Simulation-Based Training for the General Surgery Resident.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Surgical simulation-based training (SBT) enhances resident confidence and performance.
• Pediatric surgery simulation training is underdeveloped and primarily targets fellows.
• Low case volumes for rare pediatric surgical conditions necessitate alternative training methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a pediatric surgery simulation-based curriculum for general surgery residents.
• To address the need for training in high-acuity, low-occurrence pediatric surgical procedures.
• To enhance resident preparedness for complex pediatric surgical cases.

Main Methods:

• An institutional needs assessment surveyed pediatric surgeons and general surgery residents on confidence levels for specific pediatric procedures.
• Developed simulation models for gastroschisis (silastic silo placement), necrotizing enterocolitis (percutaneous drain placement), and pyloric stenosis (laparoscopic pyloromyotomy).
• Created a comprehensive curriculum for these simulation-based training modules.

Main Results:

• Successfully created high-fidelity simulation models and an SBT curriculum for key pediatric surgical procedures.
• The curriculum enables general surgery residents to practice placing silastic silos, percutaneous drains, and performing laparoscopic pyloromyotomies.
• Pediatric surgeons confirmed the high fidelity of the developed simulation models.

Conclusions:

• A pediatric surgery SBT curriculum was successfully developed for general surgery residents.
• This curriculum supplements learning for high-acuity, low-occurrence pediatric surgical procedures.
• Ongoing assessment and validation of resident performance within the curriculum are in progress.