2005 SAGES Abstracts

POSTER ABSTRACTS
tumor.
Discussion:
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors represent a considerable part
of small bowel tumors. Total resection of the tumor with clean
surgical margins is adequate surgical treatment. This procedure
can be performed with laparoscopic assistance,and may
be an alternative to its open counterpart .
P146–Education/Outcomes
TASK DECONSTRUCTION FOR TRAINING ON A LAPARO-
SCOPIC VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATOR, R Aggarwal MD, J
Hance MD,S Saso,A Tully,A Darzi MD, Department of Surgical
Oncology & Technology, Imperial College London, UK.
Introduction: Virtual reality simulation has been shown to be
beneficial for training in basic and advanced laparoscopic
skills. One of the proposed benefits of training on a VR simulator
is the ability to deconstruct a procedure into a series of
component tasks and skills. This study aims to establish the
level of deconstruction that delivers the optimal task-based
approach to achieve proficiency in laparoscopic suturing.
Methods: 30 laparoscopic novices trained on a laparoscopic
VR simulator (MIST-VR) in a stepwise approach commencing
with a previously validated basic skills curriculum. They were
then randomised into three groups to train over five half-hour
sessions on the VR laparoscopic suturing module of MIST-VR.
The simulator breaks down training into a series of 12 tasks,
the last two enabling practice at performing a complete
laparoscopic suture. Group A performed all 10 constituent
tasks, Group B the three most complex constituent tasks, and
Group C practiced laparoscopic suturing without task breakdown.
Assessments of laparoscopic suturing skill were carried
out at the beginning and end of each subject’s training period,
using a synthetic bowel model placed in a video trainer. Each
subject’s performance was scored objectively using a validated
motion analysis system, together with blinded checklist scoring
of videos of each procedure. Data analysis used non-parametric
tests, p