Training simulator efficacy in developing thoracic and general surgical skills in a residency programme: a pilot...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Virtual training simulators are increasingly used to enhance surgical residents' skills.
• Effective learning paths are crucial for mastering minimally invasive thoracic and general surgery techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To plan an effective virtual training learning path for surgical residents.
• To evaluate the impact of different frequencies of virtual training on skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

• First and second-year surgical residents were randomized into two groups: intensive (twice-weekly) and non-intensive (once-weekly) virtual training.
• The LapSim® simulator was used for basic surgical exercises over 12-week modules.
• Surgical maneuver data (time, instrument path length, angular path length) were collected and compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed improvement, but the intensive group (Group A) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in total time, instrument path lengths, and angular path lengths.
• These results indicate enhanced precision in surgical maneuvers for residents in the intensive training group.
• No significant differences were observed at the initial session, confirming baseline skill parity.

Conclusions:

• A virtual simulator training program conducted at least twice a week is effective for developing fundamental surgical skills.
• This intensive training approach supports trainees' professional growth in minimally invasive surgery.
• Further research with more complex exercises is planned to validate these preliminary findings.