Stepwise Training Program

Plain-language summary

Laparoscopic skills training is essential and has been correlated with intraoperative performance. There are a number of training curricula developed to shorten the laparoscopic learning curve. Laparoscopic suturing is an advanced technique of laparoscopic skills that requires high level of hand-eye coordination. After obtaining basic laparoscopic skills, the trainees traditionally progress to learn intracorporeal suturing by serially repeating the multiple steps required to complete laparoscopic suture. It has been advocated that teaching of complex laparoscopic task should be divided into necessary steps. Therefore, the steps of intracorporeal suturing can be broken down into discrete blocks, such as needle pick up, passing needle, and forming a knot. The learner is to repetitively practice one step in one block to master the required skill before moving on to the next block. This form of blocked practice has been recognized effective and efficient for motor skill acquisition. We established stepwise training program for laparoscopic intracorporeal suturing based on the concept of blocked practice for the medical students and surgical trainees in our institution. It is our hypothesis that the stepwise program will improve laparoscopic suturing techniques of the participants. The purpose of this study is to assess the learning outcomes of laparoscopic suturing learning outcomes after our novel stepwise training program.

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