The impact of intensive laparoscopic training course with structured assessment and immediate feedback on residents' operative performance in animal lab.

Forty surgical residents (20 junior and 20 senior residents) participated. There was a significant improvement in general laparoscopic skills during incisional hernia repair and Nissen fundoplication using global rating scales (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was an improvement in their performance during cholecystectomy, incisional hernia repair, and low anterior colectomy when procedure-specific skills assessments were used (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between residents' self-reported confidences and their operative performance CONCLUSION: Trainees showed significant improvements in performance in general and procedure-specific laparoscopic skills in a wide range of procedures after an intensive training course. This study demonstrates the benefit of a structured training curriculum in improving operative performance in basic and advanced laparoscopic skills in a simulated environment. Future studies are needed to examine the duration of training required to achieve skill retention and competency.