Design and Validation of a Simulation-based Training Curriculum for Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To design and validate a proficiency-based ex-vivo training curriculum for laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is an advanced laparoscopic procedure with a potential for significant morbidity and mortality along the early part of a surgeon's learning curve. Simulation-based training has been shown to improve a surgeon's technical performance and shorten the learning curves in the operating room. Despite these benefits, specific simulation-based training curricula have not been widely adopted in residency training programs. This is likely a result of the lack of valid simulation-based training curricula for minimally invasive operations. Presently, there is no evidence-based ex-vivo training curriculum for laparoscopic bariatric surgery. The purpose of this project is to develop and validate such a curriculum.

HYPOTHESIS: Completion of the proposed training curriculum is expected to result in superior cognitive knowledge, superior technical skills in the operating room, and superior performance in a simulated crisis scenario when compared to standard residency training.

METHODS: The evidence-based training curriculum will be made up of cognitive, technical, and non-technical components. The cognitive component will deliver procedure-specific knowledge, while the technical component will provide training in basic and procedure-specific laparoscopic skills. Non-technical component will address additional components of surgical competency including situation awareness, decision making, task management, leadership, communication and teamwork. Technical skills will be learned on a bench-top cadaveric porcine models. Training will follow a distributed practice schedule until preset proficiency benchmarks are achieved. The proposed training curriculum will be validated in a single-blinded randomized controlled trial comparing procedure-specific knowledge, technical performance in the operating room, and non-technical skills in a simulated crisis scenario for 12 surgical residents in the curricular training group and 12 residents in the standard residency training group. Cognitive knowledge will be assessed with a multiple choice examination. Technical performance will be assessed with previously validated procedure-specific and global rating scales. Non-technical skills will be assessed using a previously validated NOTECHS scale.

CONCLUSIONS: The design and implementation of the proposed training curriculum has the potential to affect surgical training programs on a national and international level by standardizing the proficiency of surgical trainees prior to the start of operating room training. This standardization is expected to shorten the learning curves and improve patient safety in the operating room.

Inclusion criteria

• Resident in general surgery at the University of Toronto
• Post - graduate year (PGY) 3 or 4
• Performed less than 10 laparoscopic bariatric operations independently

Exclusion criteria

• Residents in other surgical programs at University of Toronto
• Residents in general surgery at the University of Toronto in PGY1, 2, 5 or attending surgeons
• Residents who have performed great than 10 laparoscopic bariatric operations independently