Related Experiment Videos
Laparoscopic surgical training: effectiveness and impact on urological surgical practice patterns
W A See1, R J Fisher, H N Winfield
1Department of Urology, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
The Journal of Urology
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Urologists rapidly adopted laparoscopic surgery after training, performing 1.7 procedures per physician within 3 months. Further training significantly predicted clinical use, with most expecting increased future use.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Surgical Innovation
- Medical Education
Background:
- Urological interest in laparoscopic surgery has grown significantly.
- The impact of formal training on clinical adoption remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess urologist practice patterns after a formal training course in urological laparoscopic surgery.
- To evaluate the adoption rate and safety of laparoscopic techniques in urology.
Main Methods:
- A 2-day laparoscopic surgery training seminar was conducted for 163 urologists.
- A questionnaire was mailed 3 months post-course to assess laparoscopic surgery experience, including cases performed and complications.
- Data on practice demographics, additional training, and equipment availability were collected.
Main Results:
- 105 urologists (64%) responded; 64 received additional training.
- Respondents identified an average of 4 laparoscopic surgery candidates (2.5% of caseload) and performed 1.7 procedures per urologist.
- 45% had not performed their first case, 32% performed over 1; 7.2% complications reported, with 7 conversions to open surgery.
Conclusions:
- Urologists are adopting laparoscopic techniques rapidly and safely post-training.
- Subsequent training is the strongest predictor of clinical use.
- The overall impact on global urological practice patterns is currently small but expected to increase.