title: Construct validity of the chicken crop model in the simulation of laparoscopic pyeloplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the construct validity (ability to discriminate between experienced and inexperienced subjects) of the chicken crop model in the simulation of laparoscopic pyeloplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dead chickens were used. The chicken crop and esophagus were used to simulate the human renal pelvis and ureter, respectively. The chicken was positioned in a left lateral position within a pelvic trainer to simulate a right ureteropelvic junction. Fifteen subjects were divided into three groups according to their levels of previous laparoscopic experience. Each subject performed a laparoscopic pyeloplasty with the model using the dismembered Anderson-Hynes technique. Operative time and quality scores were recorded. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect differences among the groups. A Tukey multiple-comparisons test was used to detect differences between individual groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those in the most experienced group completed the "laparoscopic pyeloplasty" in an average of 33.80 minutes and got an average quality score of 9.0. Those in the less experienced group averaged 55.20 minutes and 7.0, respectively, and those in the group with no experience averaged 92.60 minutes and 4.0, respectively. There were significant differences in operative time and quality scores between the groups as shown by the one-way ANOVA (P<0.001), and also between the individual groups as shown by the Tukey multiple-comparisons test. There was, however, no significant difference in quality scores between the most experienced group and the less experienced group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chicken crop model exhibits good construct validity and, as such, can be used to reproduce the technical complexity of laparoscopic pyeloplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tianxin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kewei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jinli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods