Laparoscopic training Step 1
In this exam, your psychomotor skills such as depth perception and bimanual dexterity will be tested and your mastery of basic laparoscopy skills such as instrument handling, pattern cutting and intracorporal suturing will be assessed by experienced laparoscopist-examiners.
- Aims and objectives: You will improve your laparoscopic skills such as depth perception and bimanual dexterity
- Target audience: Urologists with a basic level in laparoscopy
Train yourself: A set of training-box exercises developed and validated by the Dutch project Training in Urology (TiU) to train basic skills needed in urological laparoscopy, order here
Exercises
Peg transfer
Aim: To transfer the objects one by one from one side of the board to the other and back
Skill: Ambidexterity
Instruments: two graspers
Error: Dropped object (dropped object should not be picked up)
Target time: 126 seconds
Cutting a circle
Skill: Cutting as applied in partial nephrectomy
Instruments: One scissor and one grasper
Error: Cut in or beyond the two black lines
Target time: 151 seconds
N.B.: Cutting the second layer of gauze is not recorded as an error
Needle guidance
Skill: Ambidexterity and needle positioning in the needle drivers
Instruments: two needle drivers and one braided suture 3-0 with curved needle
Error: Entering a ring from the wrong side
Target time: 268 seconds
Knot tying
Aim: To tie a single knot with one double-throw and two single-throws
Skill: Endoscopic single knot tying
Instruments: Two needle drivers (or one needle driver and one grasper) and a braided suture 3-0 with curved needle (approx. 20cm length).
Errors:
– Stitch beyond 1mm of the black dots in one or both dots
– A gap remains in the slit of the penrose drain after tying the knot
– A slipping knot
– The penrose drain comes loose from the board
– The penrose drain is torn apart
Target time: 360 seconds
E-BLUS theoretical course
The European training in basic laparoscopic urological skills (E-BLUS) e-course.
This course helps urologists to:
– Understand the history of laparoscopy;
– Use different basic instruments;
– Understand general aspects of laparoscopy.
Train yourself: A set of training-box exercises developed and validated by the Dutch project Training in Urology (TiU) to train basic skills needed in urological laparoscopy, order here
