Operating Room Outcomes After Resident Training on a Virtual Reality Simulator

The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy before and after a laparoscopic training curriculum was implemented.

All general surgery interns and PGY-2's AND PGY 3's will be enrolled in a laparoscopic surgery training curriculum that includes practicing surgical skills on a laparoscopic simulator. The PI has constructed an examination on the simulator that will document a significant level of laparoscopic skill. Each general surgery intern, second, AND THIRD year general surgery resident will be required to pass this examination on the simulator prior to being given more responsibility during cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Specifically, interns, second, AND THIRD year residents must pass the examination on the simulator before they are allowed to function as primary surgeon in a supervised setting during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. These interns, PGY-2's, AND PGY 3'S would then be allowed to function as primary surgeon under the supervision of an attending surgery for laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases. The outcomes of these cases would be compared to a matched group of laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases performed by second year general surgery residents in the same supervised environment (but without having trained on the simulator) one year prior.