Residents Refine Techniques, Compete At Our First "Surgical Skills Olympics" | Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

<h3 class="subhead">Simulated Laparoscopy, Performing 3D Exercises, Part of Innovative Training Model</h3>

<p>On August 31, 2011, dozens of our general surgery residents competed against each other during a display of their surgical dexterity, skills, and speed at our first Surgical Skills Olympics. The innovative training module took place in the <a href="/surgery/education/postgraduate/residency/general-surgery/surgical-simulation-training">Surgical Skills Center</a> (SSC). The event is designed to be an objective and comparative assessment of the residents’ skills by our department's senior faculty.</p>

<div class="caption">Team Danovich won the overall event. Team members assembled with senior Surgery faculty, from left: Spyros Pagkratis, MD; Patrick Hartendorp, MD; Jared Huston, MD, assistant professor of surgery; Shubha Dathatri, PhD, surgical educator; Richard Scriven, MD, associate professor of surgery and pediatrics, and program director, general surgery; Pamela Kim, MD; Soojin Ahn, MD; Svetlana Danovich, MD, team captain; Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, associate professor of surgery and director, Surgical Skills Center; Jerry Rubano, MD; and Todd Rosengart, professor and chairman of surgery.</div></div>

<p>“We decided to create a fun but competitive event to measure the skills of residents in an 'Olympic'-type format, with two rounds testing various skills, and a scoring process resulting with individual and team winners,” says Richard J. Scriven, MD, associate professor of surgery and pediatrics, and director of our <a href="/surgery/education/postgraduate/residency/general-surgery">general surgery residency</a>.</p>

<p>The competitors were timed as they tackled each of the four surgical exercise stations. The exercises included using a laparoscopic surgery simulator to perform open bowel and vascular anastomoses (joining of two blood vessels); a “peg transfer” that involves 3D skills on a 2D monitor to help enhance depth perception; the laparoscopic “circle cut out,” an exercise to improve skills to optimize tissue tension while performing surgery; and “extra- and intra-corporeal knot tying,” a necessary skill for complex procedures.</p>

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<p>While remaining intense with a competitive spirit, the residents also shared tips with one another on skills, approaches, and what they discovered during the entire innovative training event.</p>
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<p>Three teams participated in these Olympic games, with a chief resident leading each team. The competitors were timed as they tackled each of the six surgical skills stations.</p>

<p>The exercises included using a laparoscopic surgery simulator to perform <strong>1</strong>) open bowel and <strong>2)</strong> vascular anastomoses (joining of two blood vessels); <strong>3</strong>) a “peg transfer” that involves 3D skills on a 2D monitor to help enhance depth perception; <strong>4</strong>) the laparoscopic “circle cut-out,” an exercise to improve skills in optimizing tissue tension while performing surgery; and <strong>5</strong>&<strong>6</strong>) “extra- and intra- corporeal knot tying,” a necessary skill for complex procedures.

</p><p>Residents took turns in a relay fashion at each exercise station and during both rounds. Chief residents also used an advanced simulator to test their ability to perform a laparoscopic gallbladder removal.</p>

<p>After two rounds of exercises, the overall event winner was Team Danovich, named after chief resident Svetlana Danovich, MD.</p>

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<a href="/sdmpubfiles/SurgicalOlympics-cropped-2-large.jpg" rel="lightbox[group1][Performing a gallbladder removal]"><img class="imagecache-220" title="Performing a gallbladder removal on the laparoscopic simulator" alt="Performing a gallbladder removal on the laparoscopic simulator" src="/sdmpubfiles/SurgicalOlympics-cropped-2.jpg"></a>
<br><div class="caption">Resident Nicole Curci, MD, performs a gallbladder removal on the laparoscopic simulator. Looking on are other Surgical Skills Olympics competitors and Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, director of the Surgical Skills Center.</div>
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<p>“The format of the event helps to push forward the residents’ skills in many aspects of training, such as laparoscopy, standard general surgery procedures, and minimally invasive techniques,” says Dr. Scriven. “We expect to expand the Surgical Skills Olympics to involve other Stony Brook Surgery Divisions, and possibly to also involve residents from other institutions.”</p>

<p>The SSC, located on level 2 of the Health Sciences Center, opened in January 2011. The 1,800 square-foot facility is dedicated to surgical training of fellows, residents and medical students. Training modules are developed for all surgical training levels.</p>

<p>Surgical simulation has emerged as a training tool with enormous potential for teaching, learning, and research. Our SSC provides residents and medical students the opportunity to be a part of this rich, dynamic process, and to work collaboratively in making meaningful contributions to the field of surgical simulation education.</p>