Introduction: Advanced laparoscopic courses serve as a comprehensive and very popular Continuing Medical Education (CME) activity. Knowledge of basic laparoscopy is an assumed prerequisite for attendance at these courses.
Objective: To determine the baseline laparoscopic knowledge of attendees at an advanced laparoscopic surgical course.
Methods: Aseventeen questionexam wasdesigned utilizing datafrom the basic laparoscopic quizzes on the Society of American Gastroenterological Surgeons (SAGES) website (www.sages.org/education/quiz). The questions covered four realms of basic laparoscopy: access, pneumoperitoneum, camera navigation and surgical instrumentation. Thequestionnarewas distributedto allattendees at an advanced laparoscopic course at the 2009 Canadian Surgical Forum organized by the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.
Results: Forty three respondents completed the survey. Fifty-three percent (53%) of responders had been in practice for more than 10 years and 65% had over 5 years experience. Fifty five percent (55%)[24/43] of respondents listed laparoscopic courses as the sole means of laparoscopic training. Sixty-one percent (61%)[28/43] were performing >50 laparoscopic cases per year. The median score on the knowledge based questions was 70.6% [12/17]. In terms of overall score,respondents with more than 5 years experience performed similarlytorespondents with less than 5 years experience (73% correct answers) [Figure 1].Interestingly, insub-group analysis,respondents performed well in camera skills and pneumoperitoneum themed questions(84% correct answers) butfaired poorlyon questions pertaining to instrumentation or access (52% correct answers)[Figure 2].
Conclusion: Basic laparoscopic knowledge among the attendees of an advanced laparoscopic course is sub-optimal. Review of basic principles of laparoscopy particularly pertaining to instrumentation and access should form part of these CME activities.
Session: Podium Presentation
Program Number: S033