Use of simulators in video laparoscopic surgery in medical training: A prospective court study with medicine academic at a university in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: the onset of minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopic surgery, was accompanied by an increased frequency of complications, many of which were life-threatening. With the objective of minimizing morbidity and mortality and accelerating the learning curve, video laparoscopic surgery simulators were developed to improve the psychomotor skills required for these procedures. Objective: to compare the performance of second year medical students of the Lutheran University of Brazil, in simulated videolaparoscopic surgeries performed at the Realistic Simulation Center of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre. Method: prospective cohort study with 16 medical students with no prior experience in video-surgery simulation. The students performed simulated exercises and were evaluated regarding Coordination, Navigation by Instrument and Time in the accomplishment of the procedures. Results: the sample consisted of 69% women and 31% men with a mean age of 23.2 years. The students obtained better results in the second simulation application. The skill in Navigation by Instrument task was the one that showed the best evolution in the studied group. The Total Time in the accomplishment of the procedures was the parameter with greater difference between the successive simulations. Conclusion: medical students presented a significant improvement in their performance with the repetition of the simulation exercises, demonstrating that the Laparoscopic Surgery Simulators are a promising tool in medical training and development of surgical skills.