Blinded assessment of operative performance after fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery in gynecology training.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the pass rate for the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) examination among senior gynecology residents and fellows and to find whether there is an association between FLS scores and previous laparoscopic experience as well as laparoscopic intraoperative (OR) skills assessment.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).


METHODS
Three gynecology residency training programs.


METHODS
Third- and fourth-year gynecology residents and urogynecology fellows.


METHODS
All participants participated in the FLS curriculum, written and manual skills examination, and completed a survey reporting baseline characteristics and opinions. Fourth-year residents and fellows underwent unblinded and blinded pre- and post-FLS OR assessments. Objective OR assessments of fourth-year residents after FLS were compared with those of fourth-year resident controls who were not FLS trained.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine participants were included. The overall pass rate was 76%. The pass rate for third- and fourth-year residents and fellows were 62%, 85%, and 100%, respectively. A trend toward improvement in OR assessments was observed for fourth-year residents and fellows for pre-FLS curriculum compared with post-FLS testing, and FLS-trained fourth-year residents compared with fourth-year resident controls; however, this did not reach statistical significance. Self-report of laparoscopic case load experience of >20 cases was the only baseline factor significantly associated with passing the FLS examination (p = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
The FLS pass rate for senior residents and fellows was 76%, with higher pass rates associated with increasing levels of training and laparoscopic case experience.
Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA. ddantosh@tmhs.org
Danielle D
DD
Antosh
Tamika
T
Auguste
Elizabeth A
EA
George
Andrew I
AI
Sokol
Robert E
RE
Gutman
Cheryl B
CB
Iglesia
Sameer Y
SY
Desale
Amy J
AJ
Park
D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000193:education*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies