Muhammad F Murad, MBBS MCPS FCPS, Tariq Nawaz, MBBS FCPS, Qasim Ali, MBBS MCPS FCPS, Farhat Jehan, MBBS, Asif Zafar, FCPS FRCS. Holy Family hospital
Introduction: In most of the developed countries, laparoscopic surgery is part of resident training program which enables them to learn this technique when the surgical teaching is going side by side. In developing countries like Pakistan, laparoscopic surgery is still not widely practiced because of multiple factors and so it is not integral component of surgical resident training. In this case surgeons often acquire this skill after completion of their surgical training program. This is a different avenue of teaching laparoscopy to trained surgeons. This study is the experience of teaching laparoscopic skills to the trained surgeons and gynecologists in time specific curriculum. .Materials and Methods: Virtual Trainer Lab has been established at Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University, USA as part of PAK-US science and technology cooperation program. This is equipped with laparoscopic surgery training tools. Qualified surgeons and Gynecologists were randomly identified from all over the country. They were divided in beginners, basics, intermediate and expert level based on their practice of laparoscopy. Four days of structured training workshops have been arranged. This workshop included orientation and practice of 8 basic laparoscopic surgery skills in the lab followed by observer ship and assisting the basic laparoscopic procedures in the OR. Results: 107 surgeons and gynecologists from all over Pakistan have completed their basic laparoscopic training in 10 structured workshops. The mean post graduate experience of group in surgery was 12.7 yrs. (SD6.9). Most of the training group was at basic level of laparoscopic skills. Improving the depth perception and equal utilization of both hands were most time taking skills during training of this group. There was significant improvement in the skills of trainees during four days enabling them to gain more confidence in introducing laparoscopy to their surgical practice. Conclusion: Structured workshops for teaching laparoscopic skills to qualified surgeons and gynaecologists in developing countries significantly improves the laparoscopic practice. The curriculum has to be revised to cater the needs of qualified surgeons having little or no experience of laparoscopy in the past.
Session Number: Poster – Poster Presentations
Program Number: P175
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