Five-Year Experience Training Surgeons with a Laparoscopic Simulation Training Program for Bariatric Surgery: a
Valentina Duran Espinoza1, Francisca Belmar Riveros2, Cristian Jarry Trujillo1
1Experimental Surgery and Simulation Center, Department of Digestive Surgery, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Marcoleta 377, 8330024, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.
Obesity Surgery
|April 28, 2023
Summary
This study demonstrates that a simulated training program effectively improves laparoscopic skills for gastric bypass surgery. The program accelerates the learning curve for surgeons, enhancing proficiency in key surgical techniques.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Education
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Medical Simulation
Background:
- Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is a common bariatric procedure with a significant learning curve.
- High volume of LRYGB procedures necessitates efficient and safe training methods.
- Current LRYGB training programs are limited, highlighting the need for simulation-based approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a 5-year experience with a simulated training program for LRYGB.
- To assess the effectiveness of simulation in developing proficiency in LRYGB technical skills.
- To evaluate skill acquisition in manual and stapled gastrojejunostomy (GJ) and jejunojejunostomy (JJO).
Main Methods:
- Quasi-experimental design involving 68 trainees over 5 years.
- Utilized ex vivo animal models for practicing manual and stapled GJ and JJO.
- Assessed skill acquisition using Global Rating Scale (GRS), Specific Rating Scale (SRS), procedural time, and leakage rates.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in GRS and SRS scores for manual GJ post-training (p < 0.001).
- Increased permeability and decreased leakage rates and procedural time for manual GJ.
- Successful skill acquisition demonstrated in simulated gastrojejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy.
Conclusions:
- The simulated training program effectively enhances laparoscopic skills for LRYGB procedures.
- Simulation offers a viable method to optimize the clinical learning curve for bariatric surgeons.
- Further research is required to validate skill transfer from simulation to the operating room.
