Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of intracorporeal knotting (IK) for stump closure in single incisional laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA). Third year postgraduate (PGY-3) surgeons had to undergo dry box training (DT) for IK regularly.
Methods: Between April 2015 and December 2016, acute appendectomy patients who underwent SILA and IK by PGY-3 surgeons were placed in two groups: an S(+) group (directly verbal feedback and SNS-message feedback for DT) and an S(–) group (directly verbal feedback for DT). We compared the operative time, the time required for IK, and postoperative complications.
Results: There were 11 SILA patients, i.e., six patients in the S(–) group and five patients in the S(+) group. Four PGY-3 surgeons were included in the S(–) group and three in the S(+) group. The average operative times were not significantly different. The average times required for IK were 9.1 min in the S(+) group and 15.2 min in the S(–) group (p = 0.038). There were no postoperative complications in both groups.
Conclusion: IK might be a safe procedure because the PGY-3 surgeons could perform preoperative DT well. The time for IK was shorter in S(+) than in S(–). Thus, SNS might be an effective education tool for DT.
