Laparoscopic Colon Surgery: Education and Best Practices

The advent of laparoscopic surgery has radically changed surgical management of many diseases. Soon after the first laparoscopic procedures, the development of more complex laparoscopic operations began, including laparoscopic colon surgery. However, the adoption of laparoscopic colon surgery created new educational challenges. Add to this the medical demands for increased patient safety, fewer complications from surgery, and less time in the hospital. These are strong forces towards the development of training tools and modalities that teach the types of skills needed in laparoscopic surgery. New and older educational modalities such as box and video trainers, high-fidelity laparoscopic simulators, and cadaveric and animal models are useful because they shorten the training period and minimize costs. Their appropriate use allows acquisition of basic and advanced laparoscopic surgical skills outside the operating theatre. Training time within the operating theater can be reserved for training integration and practicing on real tissue. Increasing knowledge of the advantages and limitations of different educational and training modalities is necessary so best practices can be implemented. As laparoscopic colon surgery is relatively new, it is also important to acknowledge the population of trainees is not homogenous, ranging from novice to experienced surgeons. The diverse group that comprise the surgical community, plus limitation in financial resources, make flexible and economical educational programs a necessity.