Methods of training using pelvic trainers

Abstract

During the past decade, the clinical applications of laparoscopic surgery in urology have been growing steadily. The laparoscopic version of various procedures, such as nephrectomy, is becoming the standard of care. This has led to an increased need for laparoscopic training in urology and focused the attention on the various modalities for laparoscopic skill acquisition. The common training modalities for laparoscopy are box trainers, animal and cadaveric laparoscopy, and virtual reality simulators. Each modality carries its own benefits to the practicing surgeon. The box trainers are the first practiced and are basic training simulators. They were first designed to help with training in basic laparoscopic skills and to assist surgeons in getting acquainted with instruments. However, these simple boxes are being upgraded constantly by tissue- and organ-specific models, allowing the surgeon to train in a convenient and cost-effective environment. This article describes the ways to work with box trainers, from basic skills to advanced laparoscopic tasks, and discusses the contribution of these trainers to real surgery as well as their role in defining criterion levels of surgical performance.

Defining a structured training program for acquiring basic and advanced laparoscopic psychomotor skills in a simulator

“…Achieving proficiency in LPS and the performance of typical surgical maneuvers, such as laparoscopic suturing and knot tying, through the classic apprenticeship system seems not only impossible, but also ethically unacceptable, because it increases the operating time and complication rate. Therefore, more and more specialists agree that part of this training has to be done outside the operating room (OR), and different models have been proposed [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”

“…Trainer boxes are relatively cheap and accessible [4], whereas virtual reality models provide an objective evaluation of the learning process [12], with both being equally effective for acquiring laparoscopic skills [7]. Animal models seem ideal, but they are not widely and routinely used due to financial and ethical restrictions.…”

Gynaecological laparoscopy courses in the United Arab Emirates

“…Trainer boxes are cheap, accessible and allow controlled training to achieve adequate learning curves for different laparoscopic skills. 4 Only a few gynaecologists in United Arab Emirates practice laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Therefore, there is a great need to train gynaecologists to reach different levels of skills in gynaecological laparoscopy.…”

Training in laparoscopic surgery: From the lab to the or

“…Both trainer boxes and virtual reality models allow relaxed and controlled training, and learning curves for different laparoscopic tasks have been reported [10][11][12]. Trainer boxes are relatively cheap and accessible [13], whereas virtual reality models provide an objective evaluation of the learning process [14], with both being equally effective for acquiring laparoscopic skills [15]. In spite of the promising data available about the evaluation and training of laparoscopic skills [16][17][18][19][20], validated and well-structured programs including pre-clinical training are not universally implemented.…”