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Video: How do urology residents rate their laparoscopic experience?

Training of European urology residents in laparoscopy: results of a pan-European survey

Frederico T.G. Furriel, Maria P. Laguna*, Arnaldo J.C. Figueiredo, Pedro T.C. Nunes and Jens J. Rassweiler

Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, University Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, *Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Department of Urology, Klinikum Heilbronn, University of Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Germany

OBJECTIVE

• To assess the participation of European urology residents in urological laparoscopy, their training patterns and facilities available in European Urology Departments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

• A survey, consisting of 23 questions concerning laparoscopic training, was published online as well as distributed on paper, during the Annual European Association of Urology Congress in 2012.

• Exposure to laparoscopic procedures, acquired laparoscopic experience, training patterns, training facilities and motivation were evaluated.

• Data was analysed with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

• In all, 219 European urology residents answered the survey.

• Conventional laparoscopy was available in 74% of the respondents’ departments, while robotic surgery was available in 17% of the departments.

• Of the respondents, 27% were first surgeons and 43% were assistants in conventional laparoscopic procedures. Only 23% of the residents rated their laparoscopic experience as at least ‘satisfactory’; 32% of the residents did not attend any course or fellowship on laparoscopy.

• Dry laboratory was the most frequent setting for training (33%), although 42% of the respondents did not have access to any type of laparoscopic laboratory.

• The motivation to perform laparoscopy was rated as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ by 77% of the respondents, and 81% considered a post-residency fellowship in laparoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

• Urological laparoscopy is available in most European training institutions, with residents playing an active role in the procedure. However, most of them consider their laparoscopic experience to be poor.

• Moreover, the availability of training facilities and participation in laparoscopy courses and fellowships are low and should be encouraged.

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