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

INTRODUCTION: Training is the primary route of attaining required skills among residents in general surgery. OBJECTIVE: 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. METHOD: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.