ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The ELITE (endoscopic-laparoscopic interdisciplinary training entity) trainer is a new ex vivo model designed to train conventional laparoscopic and endoscopic skills and to perform hybrid interventions. The aim of the present study was to assess its usefulness for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 30 participants (eight gastroenterologists, 22 surgeons) ranging from novices to experts completed the following tasks. Via a trans-sigmoidal approach, anchor points in each quadrant in the abdominal cavity had to be reached. Each participant performed five consecutive courses. The time needed to perform the experiment was evaluated. In a second step to assess advanced skill for NOTES in an external face validation, 20 randomly selected individuals performed a cholecystectomy via the same trans-sigmoidal access. RESULTS: All participants passed a significant learning curve during the assessment (total time needed: 473.1 +/- 178.5 seconds for first pass vs. 321.9 +/- 182.0 seconds for fifth pass; P = 0.02, Wilcoxon test). There were 15 novices and 15 endoscopy experts. Significant differences were observed for the total time required to perform the respective procedures between these two groups (first pass: 394.3 +/- 176.6 seconds for experts vs. 531.9 +/- 166.7 seconds for novices; P = 0.040, Mann-Whitney test). Furthermore, NOTES cholecystectomies could successfully be simulated. Participants considered the ELITE to represent a useful simulator for NOTES. CONCLUSION: The newly developed ELITE trainer is a suitable tool to train NOTES techniques. Experts could reliably be distinguished from novices and a significant progress by training could be demonstrated.
Subject(s)
Gastroenterology/education , General Surgery/education , Internship and Residency , Laparoscopy , Manikins , Attitude of Health Personnel , Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic/education , Clinical Competence , Colon, Sigmoid/surgery , Equipment Design , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time and Motion StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound shears often are applied in minimally invasive surgery because they facilitate fast and secure tissue dissection, thereby reducing operative time. Although the technical principle underlying all the shears is almost identical, considerable differences exist between specific instruments. However, production of disturbing mist should be avoided. METHODS: To obtain quantitative measurements regarding mist production, a novel hermetically sealed test system was developed. Tissue dissection efficiency was evaluated by means of a standardized cutting test. The dissection time and the numbers of cuttings were recorded. In this study, four different ultrasound dissectors from three manufacturers were assessed. One manufacturer provided two instruments: a conventional instrument and an improved version, which was designed particularly to reduce mist emission. RESULTS: The fastest ultrasound dissector emitted the highest quantity of disturbing mist. However, improved dissection efficiency does not linearly correlate with mist production. This clearly could be shown for the improved "less mist production instrument," which turned out to work faster than the comparable standard dissector but produced significantly less mist. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic shears are effective for bloodless tissue dissection but may impede surgical proceeding by mist production. The findings of this study demonstrate that emission of mist can be reduced not only by lowering the dissection power, resulting in a prolonged dissection time, but also by modifying the technical design of an instrument. Further development of ultrasonic cutting devices therefore should account for the desired results.
