Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
08:21
Utilizing a 3D Printed Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication Model to Shorten a Resident's Learning Curve
Published on: August 15, 2025
Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Assessed Competence, and Simulator-Based Performance in a Structured Laparoscopic VR
Antoni Sierant1, Julia Bijok1, Michal Pirozynski1
1Centre for Endoscopy Simulation, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland.
Advances in Medical Education and Practice
|July 15, 2026
Summary
A virtual reality (VR) laparoscopy curriculum significantly improved obstetrics and gynecology residents' knowledge and skills. Performance was not affected by gender or training level, highlighting the need for criterion-referenced assessments in surgical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Simulation
- Laparoscopic Surgery
Background:
- Objective performance data for postgraduate laparoscopic curricula in Central and Eastern Europe are scarce.
- Virtual reality (VR) simulation offers a safe environment for practicing surgical skills outside the operating room.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the educational outcomes of a structured, multi-level VR laparoscopy curriculum for obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) residents.
- To assess the impact of the curriculum on theoretical knowledge, self-assessed competence, and simulator-based performance.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study involving 29 OB-GYN residents who completed a four-module VR laparoscopy course.
- Outcomes measured included pre- and post-course knowledge tests, self-assessed competence, satisfaction, and simulator-generated technical metrics.
- Performance was evaluated against a priori, criterion-referenced passing thresholds.
Main Results:
- Knowledge scores significantly improved post-course (p <0.05).
- Self-assessed competence increased significantly across all domains (p <0.05).
- High satisfaction (mean 4.7/5) did not correlate with objective performance; outcomes did not differ by gender or training-center referral level.
Conclusions:
- A structured VR laparoscopy course effectively enhances theoretical knowledge and self-assessed competence in OB-GYN residents.
- Objective performance was not influenced by gender or training-center referral level.
- High satisfaction suggests a need for balanced, criterion-referenced evaluation methods in surgical simulation training.
