Novel box trainer for taTME – prospective evaluation among medical students

BACKGROUND: Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has been subject to extensive research and increasing clinical application. It allows further reduction of trauma by accessing via a natural orifice. Manifold platforms and instruments have been introduced and heterogeneity in surgical techniques exists. Because of the technique’s complexity there is a persistent need for dedicated training devices and concepts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The key steps of taTME were analyzed and a box trainer with three modules resembling these steps was designed and manufactured. Twenty-one surgically inexperienced medical students performed five repetitions of the three tasks with the new box trainer. Time and error count were analyzed for assessment of a learning curve. RESULTS: A significant reduction of processing time could be demonstrated for tasks 1–3 (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p = 0.001). The effect size was high for comparison of repetition 1 and 5 and decreased over the course (task 1: r = 0.88 vs. r = 0.21; task 2: r = 0.86 vs. r = 0.23; task 3: r = 0.74 vs. r = 0.44). Also, a significant reduction of errors was demonstrated for tasks 1 and 2. The decrease of effect size was analogously demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The trainer might help to reduce the use of animal models for testing of platforms and instruments as well as gaining first-hand experience in transanal rectal resection.