Live surgical education: a perspective from the surgeons who perform it. (19th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khan, Shahid A.A.; Chang, Richard T.M.; Ahmed, Kamran; Knoll, Thomas; van Velthoven, Roland; Challacombe, Ben; Dasgupta, Prokar; Rane, Abhay
• Is Part Of: BJU international. Volume 114:Number 1(2014:Jul.)
• Page Start: 151
• Page End: 158
• Publication Date: 2014-02-19
• Subjects: Genitourinary organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Genitourinary organs -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Urology -- Periodicals; 616.6
• DOI: 10.1111/bju.12283
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-4096

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="bju12283-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p> <list id="bju12283-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>To evaluate the experience and views regarding live surgical broadcasts (LSB) among European urologists attending the European Association of Urology Robotic Urology Society (ERUS) congress in September 2012.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12283-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Materials and Methods</title> <p> <list id="bju12283-list-0002" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>An anonymous survey was distributed via email inviting the participants of the ERUS congress with experience of LSB to share their opinions about LSB.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>The outcomes measured included; personal experience of LSB, levels of anxiety faced and the perceived surgical quality.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>The impact of factors, such as communication/team‐working, travel fatigue and lack of specific equipment were also evaluated.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12283-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p> <list id="bju12283-list-0003" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>In all, 106 surgeons responded with 98 (92.5%) reporting personal experience of LSB; 6.5% respondents noted 'significant anxiety' increasing to 19.4% when performing surgery away from home (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001).</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Surgical quality was perceived as 'slightly worse' and 'significantly worse' by 16.1% and 2.2%, which deteriorated further to 23.9% and 3.3% respectively in a 'foreign' environment (<italic>P</italic> = 0.005).</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>In all, 10.9% of surgeons 'always' brought their own surgical team compared with 37% relying on their host institution; 2.4% raised significant concerns with their team and 18.8% encountered significantly more technical difficulties.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Lack of specific equipment (10.3%), language difficulties (6.2%) and jet lag (7.3%) were other significant factors reported.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>In all, 75% of surgeons perceived the audience wanted a slick demonstration; however, 52.2% and 42.4% respectively also reported the audience wished the surgeon to struggle or manage a complication during a LSB.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12283-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p> <list id="bju12283-list-0004" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>A small proportion of surgeons had significantly heightened anxiety levels and lower perceived performance during LSB, which in a 'foreign' environment seemed to affect a greater proportion of surgeons.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Various factors appear to impact surgical performance raising concerns about the appropriateness of unregulated LSB as a teaching method.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>To mitigate these concerns, surgeons' performing live surgery feel that the operation needs to be well planned using appropriate equipment; with many considering bringing their own team or operating from home on a video link.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> </abstract>