Operative Training in a General Surgery Program: Residents’ perspective and analysis of a web-based log-book - Retrospective Cohort Study
Abstract BackgroundSurgical education evolves through time, and it's related to the number and type of procedures that residents are exposed to. Hour regulations in resident training affect learning curves, and recording surgical exposure remains to be an effective method to assess and keep track of surgical training. Web-based logbooks have proven to be useful to monitor and follow surgical training in general surgery residents. This study aims to evaluate surgical proficiency in general surgery residents by quantifying their operative exposure and experience by using data collected in a web-based logbook.MethodsA retrospective study from a prospectively collected data base between September 2018 to September 2019 was performed. All surgery residents were surveyed.ResultsA total of 13160 surgical procedures were performed by residents. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was the most frequent procedure performed 7404 times (52,6%), followed by open appendectomy in 34,6%. Trauma context procedures represent 4.9% of surgical training in our program. Complex procedures such as whipple or distal pancreatectomy represent less than 1% of the training. 70% of residents are confident to perform the surgical procedures proposed for their year of residency, 90% agree that logbooks have a positive impact in their formation.ConclusionWeb based logbooks are a feasible method to follow operative experience in general surgery residents, with adequate record of procedures, its complexity, and trauma context. General surgery residents in our program are confident to perform surgical procedures based on the year of residency. Nevertheless, there is no consensus regarding the best way to measure resident experience and meanwhile we keep relying on proxies.