Does the advanced training in laparoscopic suturing enhance laparoscopic suturing skill beyond fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery?

Background: Laparoscopic suturing is associated with a steep learning curve. Hence, many general surgery graduate residents entering fellowship have reportedly not been able to proficiently suture laparoscopically despite achieving Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery certification. To address this deficiency, the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum was developed. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum in improving laparoscopic suturing skills compared with Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery training.

Methods: Novices were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled study. All novices followed proficiency-based training on Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery peg-transfer and intracorporeal suturing. Students were then stratified based on their peg-transfer performance and randomized into an Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing or Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group. The Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing group trained on 3 of the 6 Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing tasks (needle handling, offset forehand suturing, confined space suturing), while the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group was assigned more stringent suturing performance goals. Each group trained for an additional 6 hours, after which the laparoscopic suturing performance of the 2 groups was compared on a Nissen fundoplication porcine model.

Results: Thirty-nine medical students were enrolled in the study; 17 (11 males and 6 females) completed the study protocol (44%). Controlling for confounders including the student suturing performance at the end of stage-1 training, the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing group at the porcine model was significantly faster/safer (coefficient = 102.7, P = .037), and more skilled (coefficient = 19.1, P = .048) compared with the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group.

Conclusion: Compared with Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery training alone the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum further enhances the laparoscopic suturing skill of novices. These findings support incorporating Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing into existing skills curricula.