A Comparison of the Effectiveness Between Three Different Endoscopic Surgical Skill Training Programs for Medical Students Using the Infant Laparoscopic Fundoplication Simulator: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Training programs for developing laparoscopic suturing skills range from dry-box training to virtual simulator training. There are advantages and disadvantages to each training method; however, which training is best for medical students and young surgeons is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the proficiency of medical students in acquiring laparoscopic suturing skills after various routes of short-term training: via a video, an expert teacher, or a virtual simulator. Seventeen medical students were registered and divided randomly into three groups: group receiving personal training while watching a training video (video group), group receiving training under the guidance of an expert (teaching group), and group receiving personal training with a virtual simulator (virtual group). The students practiced laparoscopic suturing and tying skills for 1 hour. Following their training, they performed the evaluation task of three sutures and ties using a laparoscopic fundoplication simulator. We developed a 1-year-old infant body model (body weight 10 kg) based on computed tomography data and established a pneumoperitoneum body model based on a clinical situation. The path length of the assistant forceps in the virtual group tended to be longer than in the other groups. The average acceleration of the assistant forceps in the virtual group was faster than in the other groups ( = .04). There were no significant differences in the other evaluation parameters. A long-term and combination training study should be performed to develop the best method for training medical students and inexperienced young surgeons.