A randomized comparison of a 3-week and 6-week vascular surgery simulation course on junior surgical residents' performance of an end-to-side anastomosis

Abstract

An open vascular simulation course consisting of three weekly 1-hour sessions increased the surgical skill of junior residents in performing a vascular end-to-side anastomosis to that of senior residents on a standardized assessment. A 6-week course provided no additional benefit. This study supports the use of an open vascular simulation course to teach vascular surgical skills to junior residents. A course consisting of three 1-hour sessions is an effective and efficient component of a simulation program for junior surgical residents in a busy surgical center.

Achieving Consensus to Define Curricular Content for Simulation Based Education in Vascular Surgery: A Europe Wide Needs Assessment Initiative

“…These "basic" skills should be included in future simulation based training programs. 16 Basic open vascular skills, including construction of a vascular anastomosis, ranked number one in the final list, which is in line with national surveys performed in Denmark and the United States. 13,17 Vascular anastomosis is a fundamental component of open vascular surgery and should be mastered by every vascular surgeon.…”

The Use of a Low-Fidelity Simulator to Improve Vascular Anastomosis Skills of Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A workshop was organized since numerous studies have demonstrated the successful acquisition of vascular anastomosis skills using both low-fidelity and high-fidelity simulators. 21 , 22 The curriculum of the workshop dictates how effective a particular simulator will be in providing clinically relevant and useful skills. 20 It is known that distributed practice (short practice sessions with intervals between sessions) results in better acquisition and retention compared with massed practice (practicing a task continuously in one long session).…”

“…Robinson compared a 6-week workshop with a 3-week workshop and reported that a 6-week course provided no additional benefit. 21 In addition, in a busy residency program, participation in the laboratory should be mandatory. 25 With that in mind, our workshop was conducted over a 3-week period, with a 1-hour training session/week, as a mandatory activity.…”

A Systematic Review of Simulation-Based Training in Vascular Surgery

“…The following references [ 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 ] are cited in Supplementary Tables.…”