Examining the Development of Operative Autonomy in Vascular Surgery Training and When Trainees and Program Directors...

Lack of autonomy in the operating room (OR) during general surgery residency is a major contributing factor to low confidence operating independently after graduation. Although attempts to address decreased autonomy and development of entrustment in the OR are being made in general surgery programs, this issue has not been examined thoroughly in vascular surgery. We sought to determine barriers and opportunities for developing operative autonomy during vascular surgery training by surveying program directors (PDs) and trainees (integrated residents and fellows) in U.S. vascular surgery training programs.

An anonymous electronic survey was sent via email to all PDs (n = 155) and trainees (n = 516) in United States vascular surgery training programs. Demographics, academic characteristics, and responses regarding factors impacting the development of entrustment were collected.

Thirty-five PDs and 100 trainees completed the survey (22.5% and 19.4% response rate, respectively). Sixty percent of trainees were integrated residents and 40% were fellows. Twenty percent of PDs and 33% of trainees were female, and 5% of all PDs and trainees were from underrepresented minorities. The single most positive factor affecting the development of autonomy according to trainees and PDs is familiarity of the faculty with the trainee. Both PDs and trainees thought the trainee's preparation for the case positively affected development of autonomy; however, more PDs believed that involvement with preoperative preparation in particular (marking the patient, consenting the patient, filling out a history and physical, prepping and draping the patient) was important (P < 0.05). PDs believed that duty-hour limitations negatively affected the trainee's ability to develop autonomy in the OR, whereas more trainees believed that hospital or OR efficiency policies played a negative role (P < 0.05). Finally, compared with trainees, PDs believed that the appropriate amount of time for safe struggle before the attending should take over the case was when OR efficiency was compromised or at any moment the trainee is unsure of themselves (P < 0.05); trainees believed that the attending should take over the case after the limit of their skill set or troubleshooting ability was reached (P < 0.05).

Familiarity of the attending physician with the trainee is an important positive factor for development of entrustment and autonomy in vascular surgery trainees. Duty-hour limitations and belief of the need for hospital efficiency may negatively impact operative independence of trainees. An open discussion about balancing OR efficiency and trainees' safe struggle is essential to address the growth of independent operative skills in vascular surgery trainees.