Role of Cancer Surgery in the Improvement of the Operative Skills of Military Surgeons During Deployment: A Single-Center Study

Abstract

Introduction The maintenance of military surgeons’ operative skills is challenging. Different and specific training strategies have been implemented in this context; however, little has been evaluated with regard to their effectiveness. Cancer surgery is a part of military surgeons’ activities in their home hospitals. This study aimed to assess the role of oncological surgery in the improvement of military surgeons’ operative skills. Methods Between January and June 2019, the surgical activities of the departments of visceral, ear, nose, and throat, urological, and thoracic surgery were retrospectively reviewed and assessed in terms of the operative time (OT). All surgeons working at the Sainte Anne Military Teaching Hospital were sent a survey to rate on a 5-point scale the current surgical practices on their usefulness in improving surgical skills required for treating war injuries during deployment (primary endpoint) and to compare on a 10-point visual analog scale the influence of cancer surgery and specific training on surgical fluency (secondary endpoint). Results Over the study period, 2,571 hours of OT was analyzed. Oncological surgery represented 52.5% of the surgical activity and almost 1,350 hours of cumulative OT. Considering the primary endpoint, the mean rating allocated to cancer surgery was 4.53 ± 0.84, which was not statistically different than that allocated to trauma surgery (4.42 ± 1.02, P = 0.98) but higher than other surgery (2.47 ± 1.00, P < 0.001). Considering the secondary endpoint, cancer surgery was rated higher than specific training by all surgeons, without statistically significant difference (positive mean score of + 2.00; 95% IC: 0.85–3.14). Conclusion This study demonstrates the usefulness of cancer surgery in improving the operative skills of military surgeons.