Minimum Number of Required Sessions for Attaining Basic Skills in Laparoscopic Surgery by General Surgery Residents; an Experimental Report

Training is the primary route of attaining required skills among residents in general surgery. This study was conducted to evaluate the minimum number of required sessions for attaining basic skills in laparoscopic surgery in a skill-lab among surgical residents. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Imam-Khomeini Hospital during 2012. A total of 20 surgical residents were enrolled. There were 45–60 mins sessions weekly, which included the following seven elementary skills: first knot tie, second knot tie, peg exchange, peg drop, rope pass, needle pass, and paper cut. These skills were evaluated weekly, and qualitative evaluations were done every 2 weeks. Mean age of the 20 surgical residents was 32.2 ± 4.7 years, and 55.6% of them were males. The median session counts were as follows: six sessions for first knot tie, six sessions for second knot tie, three sessions for peg exchange, eight sessions for needle pass, and five sessions for paper cut. Based on the obtained results, it may be concluded that relatively five sessions are required for acquiring basic skills in laparoscopic surgery by surgical residents.