L A Blázquez Hernando1, J López Monclús2, A Robín Del Valle Lersundi3, D Melero Montes2, C San Miguel Méndez3, M A García Ureña3,4. 1. Servicio de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Ctra de Colmenar Viejo km 9.100, 28034, Madrid, Spain. la_blazquez@hotmail.com. 2. Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, C. Manuel de Falla 1, 28222, Majadahonda, Spain. 3. Hospital Universitario del Henares, Avda de Marie Curie, s/n, 28822, Coslada, Spain. 4. Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Ctra de Pozuelo a Majdahonda km 1.800, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Assess the utility of a hands-on workshop on abdominal wall reconstruction for teaching the posterior components separation (PCS) with transversus abdominis release. METHODS: Our department has been organizing a training course on abdominal wall reconstruction for the last 6 years. It is a 2-day-long course and 10-12 surgeons with experience in abdominal wall surgery attend to every course. The first day is dedicated to theoretical lectures and two simultaneous live surgeries, and the second day there is a cadaver dissection. Feedback from the trainees was collected at the end of the workshop. A survey was sent to all the surgeons who had completed the course at least a year ago, to inquire how the course had improved their surgical practice. RESULTS: From 2013 to April 2017, we have made 15 editions of the course. A total of 192 surgeons from Europe, South Africa and Middle East attended. All the surgeons answered the survey that was carried out at the end of the course. It showed a very high level of satisfaction in more than 98% of the cases. The second survey was answered by 79 surgeons (41.15%). 96% of the surgeons had modified, after attending the course, their way of dealing with complex abdominal wall problems. Only 29% of the surgeons had made a TAR before attending the course, while 86% are performing it after attending the course and 60% do it on a regular basis. In fact, 43% of surgeons have performed more than five posterior component separations in the last year. CONCLUSIONS: A workshop of abdominal wall surgery that combines live surgery, theoretical content and a cadaver lab can be a very useful tool to expand the use of new surgical techniques.
PURPOSE: Assess the utility of a hands-on workshop on abdominal wall reconstruction for teaching the posterior components separation (PCS) with transversus abdominis release. METHODS: Our department has been organizing a training course on abdominal wall reconstruction for the last 6 years. It is a 2-day-long course and 10-12 surgeons with experience in abdominal wall surgery attend to every course. The first day is dedicated to theoretical lectures and two simultaneous live surgeries, and the second day there is a cadaver dissection. Feedback from the trainees was collected at the end of the workshop. A survey was sent to all the surgeons who had completed the course at least a year ago, to inquire how the course had improved their surgical practice. RESULTS: From 2013 to April 2017, we have made 15 editions of the course. A total of 192 surgeons from Europe, South Africa and Middle East attended. All the surgeons answered the survey that was carried out at the end of the course. It showed a very high level of satisfaction in more than 98% of the cases. The second survey was answered by 79 surgeons (41.15%). 96% of the surgeons had modified, after attending the course, their way of dealing with complex abdominal wall problems. Only 29% of the surgeons had made a TAR before attending the course, while 86% are performing it after attending the course and 60% do it on a regular basis. In fact, 43% of surgeons have performed more than five posterior component separations in the last year. CONCLUSIONS: A workshop of abdominal wall surgery that combines live surgery, theoretical content and a cadaver lab can be a very useful tool to expand the use of new surgical techniques.