Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of laparoscopic adnexectomy as the first step in laparoscopic training.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: Koshigaya Municipal Hospital.
Patient: Forty-three patients with ovarian cysts. Fourteen patients underwent surgery by certified laparoscopists, and twenty-nine patients underwent surgery by residents.
Intervention: Laparoscopic adnexectomies were subdivided into four levels based on the energy source, ligation, and suture technique.
Result: The mean operating time was 58.5±3.8 minutes in the laparoscopist group and 72.6±3.5 minutes in the resident group (P<0.05). Blood loss was not significantly different between the two groups. Among the four different levels of adnexectomies, the operating times and blood loss were not significantly different.
Conclusion: We conclude that residents are able to acquire laparoscopic surgical skills in a step-by-step manner at our institution using adnexectomy as a standard procedure.
