The evolution of training in Off-Pump coronary surgery in a single institution

Medium-term results of systematic off-pump coronary surgery performed by trainee surgeons☆

“…The results of this study reflect the long experience of our unit in OPCAB surgery, and provides further data concerning medium-term outcomes to supplement those published by other authors who have analysed the feasibility of training in OPCAB surgery [14][15][16][17][18].…”

“…A few studies have shown that teaching the OPCAB technique to young surgeons is possible and safe, but there is still a lack of longer-term outcome data [14][15][16][17][18].…”

Training residents in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: A 14-year experience

“…15 We have previously reported our early experience in teaching OPCAB, with no difference in clinical outcome when the surgery was performed by senior surgeons or cardiothoracic trainees. 3,[8][9][10] We have also provided evidence in the early phase of our program with 4 trainees and the senior surgeon who developed the OPCAB technique at our institution (G.D.A.) that performance monitoring is practical with control charts (eg, cumulative sum charts) and that teaching OPCAB in a residency program is effective, with an average failure rate for OPCAB after adjustment for case mix similar to or better than that for conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.…”

“…At our institution, OPCAB has evolved rapidly in the last 14 years, and cardiothoracic trainees have been exposed to this new technique as an integral part of their surgical program. 3,[8][9][10] The purpose of this study was to compare the performances of trainees, supervised or unsupervised, with those of senior surgeons with respect to early clinical outcome and long-term survival in patients undergoing OP-CAB operations. Finally, to evaluate the evolution of training, outcomes were then analyzed according to 3 different time periods (1996-1999, 2000-2004, 2005-2009) and the seniority level of trainees.…”

A high fidelity tissue-based cardiac surgical simulator

“…While there is no doubt that real operations are the best way to acquire real surgical skills [11,12] there is an increasing acceptance of simulation exercises as a method of augmenting the processes leading to surgical competence [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. The simulator provides hi-fidelity tissue interaction for the trainee surgeon.…”