Current trends in urologic laparoscopic surgery.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the status of laparoscopy in urology and the impact of residency and fellowship training on the performance of laparoscopy as primary surgeon. We also examined whether performing nonsurgical tasks requiring two-handed dexterity had any link to the adoption of laparoscopic techniques by urologists.


METHODS
A total of 8760 laparoscopy questionnaires containing 135 queries were mailed to urologists listed on the American Urological Association practicing urologists mailing list. The questions sought information on area of practice, time in practice, fellowship training, ambidexterity, laparoscopic experience, and experience with robotics. The response rate was 1.8% (155 of 8760).


RESULTS
There appeared to be no significant correlation between the performance of laparoscopic surgery and participation in activities requiring bimanual dexterity. However, a correlation of strong statistical significance did exist between laparoscopic residency training and performance of laparoscopy after residency (p=0.003. There also was a correlation between fellowship training in laparoscopy/endourology and doing laparoscopy as primary surgeon.


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in laparoscopic surgery during residency training is a major determining factor in performance of laparoscopy as a primary surgeon in practice. Younger surgeons trained in laparoscopy during residency are performing more laparoscopy post residency than those without laparoscopic training during residency. At present, there is a need to train more urologists in laparoscopy at the postgraduate level.
Abdelshehid
Corollos S
CS
Department of Urology, University of California-Irvine, Orange, California 92868, USA.
Eichel
Louis
L
Lee
David
D
Uribe
Carlos
C
Boker
John
J
Basillote
Jay
J
McDougall
Elspeth M
EM
Clayman
Ralph V
RV
Winfield
Howard N
HN
Gill
Inderbir S
IS
Nakada
Steve Y
SY
Erturk
Erdal
E
Babayan
Richard
R
Shalhav
Arieh L
AL
Sosa
R Ernest
RE
D000328:Adult; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D014572:Urology / Q000193:education / Q000639:trends