The optimal frequency of endoscopic skill labs for training and skill retention on suturing: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine, given a fixed amount of training, the optimal distribution of sessions needed to acquire intracorporeal endoscopic suturing skills and to retain said skills for 1 to 6 months.
Design: A randomized controlled trial consisted of 6 study groups who received identical laparoscopic suturing training but at differing frequencies of sessions.
Setting: The faculty of medicine of the KULEUVEN is the largest medical faculty in Belgium.
Participants: Medical students without experience in laparoscopy (n = 145).
Methods: After baseline assessments, the students were randomized into 6 groups to receive 6 training sessions of 1.5 hours each. Training Groups were as follows: 3 sessions daily (TD), bidaily sessions, 1 session daily (OD), 1 session on alternative days, 1 session weekly, and 1 session weekly with an optional "deliberate practice" in between sessions (WD). All exercises and feedback given were identical. One and 6 months after the final session, an evaluation was performed where a 5-cm chicken-skin incision had to be closed with 3 laparoscopic knots. The cumulative time to approximate the skin edges adequately was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Results: There were no significant differences amongst the groups at baseline concerning ambidexterity, motivation, or spatial abilities. The group OD outperformed the massed groups (TD and bidaily sessions) and the weekly groups (1 session weekly and WD) significantly (p = 0.003). After 1 month there was still a significant advantage for regular training groups (OD, 1 session on alternative days, and WD) over massed training groups (TD) (p = 0.004). After 6 months only a statistical difference (p = 0.04) between group OD and group TD was observed. Group WD's score remained stable after 6 months.
Conclusions: Short-term, once daily 1.5-hours session seems most beneficial for learning intracorporeal endoscopic suturing. After 6 months, distributed shorter training still remains better than massed practice but weekly training and daily training are comparable. "Optional Deliberate Practice" between the official training sessions reduces skill decay.
(Copyright © 2013 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)