minimum number of required sessions for attaining basic skills in laparoscopic surgery by general surgery residents; an experimental report

Introduction: training is the primary route of attaining required skills among residents in general surgery. objective: this study was conducted to evaluate the minimum number of required sessions for attaining basic skills in laparoscopic surgery in a skill-lab among surgical residents. method: this cross-sectional study was conducted in imam-khomeini hospital during 2012. a total of 20 surgical residents were enrolled. there were 45–60 mins sessions weekly, which included the following seven elementary skills: first knot tie, second knot tie, peg exchange, peg drop, rope pass, needle pass, and paper cut. these skills were evaluated weekly, and qualitative evaluations were done every 2 weeks. results: mean age of the 20 surgical residents was 32.2 ± 4.7 years, and 55.6% of them were males. the median session counts were as follows: six sessions for first knot tie, six sessions for second knot tie, three sessions for peg exchange, eight sessions for needle pass, and five sessions for paper cut. conclusion: based on the obtained results, it may be concluded that relatively five sessions are required for acquiring basic skills in laparoscopic surgery by surgical residents.