Comparing Proficiency of Laparoscopic Vaginal Cuff Suturing After Training with Two Simulators

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation
• Gynecologic Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic surgical skills are crucial for gynecologic procedures.
• Standardized training is essential for premedical and medical students entering surgery.
• Evaluating novel training tools is vital for improving surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) simulator versus the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) simulator.
• To determine if a gynecology-specific trainer better prepares students for a laparoscopic vaginal cuff task.

Main Methods:

• A masked, block-randomized controlled trial involving 49 premedical and preclinical medical students.
• Students trained for 2.5 hours on either the EMIGS or FLS simulator.
• Performance on a laparoscopic vaginal cuff suturing task was assessed pre- and post-training using the modified Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) rubric.

Main Results:

• The mean improvement in GOALS scores was 6.50 for EMIGS and 4.07 for FLS (P = .34).
• The EMIGS group showed greater improvement in six of eight individual GOALS domains, though not statistically significant.
• Demographic characteristics were similar between the EMIGS and FLS groups.

Conclusions:

• Neither the EMIGS nor the FLS simulator demonstrated superior performance enhancement for the vaginal cuff suturing task after a single training session.
• Further research may be needed to explore longer training durations or different skill assessments.