Training for advanced laparoscopic surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficiency of training for advanced minimally-invasive surgery in rats.


METHODS
Teaching hospital, Germany.


METHODS
10 surgical residents with few laparoscopic training skills had two days laparoscopic microsurgical training using rats.


METHODS
Increasingly difficult procedures started using a rubber model, followed by 'open' and 'closed' rat models simulating laparoscopic conditions.


METHODS
The surgical skills of all participants were assessed before and after the laparoscopic training course by applying 5 defined tasks in a simulation trainer. As a control group, 8 surgical residents with the same amount of minimal-invasive training were tested after a 2-day interval.


RESULTS
All participants of the laparoscopic training programme significantly improved their surgical skills for all 5 tasks (p < 0.05). In the control group only one of the 5 tasks was significantly improved after repetition. Participants of the complete training programme consistently improved their surgical skills significantly compared with the controls before and after repetition (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical training in minimal-invasive techniques in the rat model is effective and reproducible especially to improve laparoscopic skills such as bimanual tissue handling, knot tying and microsurgical suturing.
Gutt
Carsten N
CN
Department of Surgery, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany. Carsten_Gutt@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Kim
Zun-Gon
ZG
Krähenbühl
Lukas
L
D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002983:Clinical Competence; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000193:education; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013536:Suture Techniques