Endoscopic sinus surgery training courses: Benefit and problems – a multicenter evaluation

Introduction: Dissection courses are important for trainees and surgeons in mastering the skills required to perform endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) which is a common surgery in otorhinolaryngology. Aim: To evaluate the benefits of ESS training courses and ways to improve training. Material and methods: In a prospective study using a structured questionnaire, participants of ESS courses in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, India and Thailand were asked on their experiences in these courses and suggestions on improving them. Results and discussion: The majority of the participants have experiences in performing ESS prior to joining the course. Infundibulotomy was considered the easiest dissection step in ESS while frontal sinus surgery was considered the most challenging by the majority of the participants. The motivation for most of the participants in joining the course is to improve their skills with almost all stating that their expectations of the course have been fulfilled with improvement of their surgical techniques, anatomical skills and on patient’s safety. Almost all the participants were satisfied with the course and would recommend attending it. Conclusions: ESS dissection courses are an integral part in the learning process of trainees in becoming a competent surgeon and for surgeons to improve their techniques. Continuous improvement should be made to ensure that the participants will benefit from attending the course.