title: European Society of Pediatric Endoscopic Surgeons (ESPES) guidelines for training program in pediatric minimally invasive surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to propose structured guidelines for a European pediatric MIS training program created by ESPES.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire, focused on how the pediatric training program in MIS has to be structured, was proposed to all participants at the ESPES Congress in Marseille in 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received 178 questionnaires but only 139 questionnaires were fully completed and analyzed. All respondents agree that the training program has to be divided into 4 steps: (1) theoretical part: 2 theoretical courses in laparoscopy (101/139 respondents, 72.7 %), 1 theoretical course in retroperitoneoscopy (99/139 respondents, 71.2 %) and 1 in thoracoscopy (91/139 respondents, 65.5 %); (2) experimental part: 10-20 h of training on pelvic trainer (103/139 respondents, 74.1 %) and 10 h of training on animal models (91/139 respondents, 65.5 %); (3) stages in European centers of reference for MIS: a 1-3 months stage (96/139 respondents, 69.1 %); (4) personal experience: 30 procedures as cameraman (98/139 respondents, 70.5 %) and >50 basic MIS procedures as main surgeon under supervision (114/139 respondents, 82 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of our survey ESPES MIS training curriculum for pediatric surgeons must contain the following educational components: (1) theoretical knowledge; (2) practice-based learning and improvement in experimental setting; (3) stages in European centers of reference for MIS; (4) personal operative experience. At the end of the training program, ESPES will analyze the candidate training booklet and release for each applicant an ESPES certification after an exam.
authors: Department of Traslational Medical Sciences, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Federico II University, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy, ciroespo@unina.it.
authors: Ciro
authors: C
authors: Esposito
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Escolino
authors: Amulya
authors: A
authors: Saxena
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Montupet
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Chiarenza
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: De Agustin
authors: Isabela Magdalena
authors: IM
authors: Draghici
authors: Mariapina
authors: M
authors: Cerulo
authors: Mario Mendoza
authors: MM
authors: Sagaon
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Di Benedetto
authors: Piergiorgio
authors: P
authors: Gamba
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Settimi
authors: Azad
authors: A
authors: Najmaldin
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D066231:Surgeons / Q000193:education*