Michael Dennis I dela Paz, MD, Miguel C Mendoza, MD, FPCS, FACS, FPSGS, FPALES. Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Objective:
To introduce a fun, innovative, nice and enthusiastic way of skill exercise in Laparoscopic Box Trainer through Endoscopic Painting.
Methods:
The paper presents how the innovator supplements his training in laparoscopy by combining the art of painting and the science of laparoscopy. Endoscopic painting is the practice of applying medium of color or pigment to a miniature canvas. It is an art that unleased unlimited creative forms and expressions to the trainee making the skill exercise fun, relaxing and enthusiastic. It requires a modified laparoscopic box trainer equipped with a rotating circular pallete used as a container for the color paint medium and diluting solution, and an upper horizontal bar used for the application of miniature canvas. It uses a modified laparoscopic brush for the dominant hand of the trainee to apply the color and a laparoscopic grasper for the non-dominant hand to control and manipulate the canvas and the rotating circular palette.
Results:
Through the innovator’s experience, endoscopic painting develops hand eye coordination, depth perception, spatial coordination, instrumental tactile feedback, tissue handling skills and improvement of skills of non-dominant hand. It was not a boring procedure unlike the basic laparoscopic box training exercise since it does not involve repetitive movements. The tangible end result of the exercise is a miniature art masterpiece.
To date, the innovator currently made 12 miniature art paintings which supplements a lot to the actual surgical laparoscopic skill he develop during his preceptorship training. These miniature art masterpieces were presented as an art gallery last December 6-9, 2015 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City, Philippines during the Philippine College of Surgeons 71st Annual Clinical Congress as the laparoscopic painting box and laparoscopic brush was accepted in the entry of the Annual Inventions and Innovations Competition.
Conclusion:
Endoscopic painting is a feasible laparoscopic skill exercise that can supplement the current standard laparoscopic box exercise. It is more fun and enthusiastic because it requires creative expression of forms and style in painting that could be a relaxing experience to the trainee.
Future plan for this innovation will be an extensive validation study during laparoscopic surgical workshop in order to know its effect on the learning curve of the trainees in developing laparoscopic surgical skills.