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ObesityNCT01610466

Design and Validation of a Simulation-based Training Curriculum for Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

A study testing Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculum in people with Obesity, run by Unity Health Toronto at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is an advanced laparoscopic procedure with a potential for significant morbidity and mortality along the early part of a surgeon's learning curve. Simulation-based training has been shown to improve a surgeon's technical performance and shorten the learning curves in the operating room. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Obesity
What is being tested?
Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculum
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
24 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Jul 2012to Jun 2013
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Resident in general surgery at the University of Toronto
  • Post - graduate year (PGY) 3 or 4
  • Performed less than 10 laparoscopic bariatric operations independently

Who cannot join

  • Residents in other surgical programs at University of Toronto
  • Residents in general surgery at the University of Toronto in PGY1, 2, 5 or attending surgeons
  • Residents who have performed great than 10 laparoscopic bariatric operations independently

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • St. Michael's Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is an advanced laparoscopic procedure with a potential for significant morbidity and mortality along the early part of a surgeon's learning curve. Simulation-based training has been shown to improve a surgeon's technical performance and shorten the learning curves in the operating room. Despite these benefits, there is no evidence-based ex-vivo training curriculum for laparoscopic bariatric surgery. The purpose of this study is to design and validate such a curriculum. This curriculum will include cognitive training, technical laparoscopic skills training (laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy) and non-technical skills training in a simulated environment. The investigators will assess the effectiveness of the proposed curriculum by conducting a randomized single blinded controlled trial. Cognitive knowledge (multiple choice test), technical skills (performance of a procedure in the operating room) and non-technical skills (performance in a simulated crisis scenario in a simulated environment) will be compared between curriculum trained and conventionally trained groups. The investigators hypothesize that curriculum trained group will have superior knowledge, technical skill and non-technical skills compared to conventionally trained group.

Read the detailed description

OBJECTIVE: To design and validate a proficiency-based ex-vivo training curriculum for laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is an advanced laparoscopic procedure with a potential for significant morbidity and mortality along the early part of a surgeon's learning curve. Simulation-based training has been shown to improve a surgeon's technical performance and shorten the learning curves in the operating room. Despite these benefits, specific simulation-based training curricula have not been widely adopted in residency training programs. This is likely a result of the lack of valid simulation-based training curricula for minimally invasive operations. Presently, there is no evidence-based ex-vivo training curriculum for laparoscopic bariatric surgery. The purpose of this project is to develop and validate such a curriculum.

HYPOTHESIS: Completion of the proposed training curriculum is expected to result in superior cognitive knowledge, superior technical skills in the operating room, and superior performance in a simulated crisis scenario when compared to standard residency training.

METHODS: The evidence-based training curriculum will be made up of cognitive, technical, and non-technical components. The cognitive component will deliver procedure-specific knowledge, while the technical component will provide training in basic and procedure-specific laparoscopic skills. Non-technical component will address additional components of surgical competency including situation awareness, decision making, task management, leadership, communication and teamwork. Technical skills will be learned on a bench-top cadaveric porcine models. Training will follow a distributed practice schedule until preset proficiency benchmarks are achieved. The proposed training curriculum will be validated in a single-blinded randomized controlled trial comparing procedure-specific knowledge, technical performance in the operating room, and non-technical skills in a simulated crisis scenario for 12 surgical residents in the curricular training group and 12 residents in the standard residency training group. Cognitive knowledge will be assessed with a multiple choice examination. Technical performance will be assessed with previously validated procedure-specific and global rating scales. Non-technical skills will be assessed using a previously validated NOTECHS scale.

CONCLUSIONS: The design and implementation of the proposed training curriculum has the potential to affect surgical training programs on a national and international level by standardizing the proficiency of surgical trainees prior to the start of operating room training. This standardization is expected to shorten the learning curves and improve patient safety in the operating room.

Conditions
Obesity
Being tested
Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculum
Keywords
Education, Simulation, Technical skills training, Laparoscopy, Bariatric Surgery
Medical subject headings
Obesity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculumProcedure or surgery

    The training curriculum will consist of a cognitive, technical and non-technical components. Cognitive component will consist of self-directed readings and a faculty-led seminar. Technical component will consist of training to proficiency on cadaveric porcine laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy and gastrojejunostomy models. Non-technical component will consist of an introductory lecture on non-technical skills in surgery and a simulated crisis scenario with a debriefing session.

Study groups in NCT01610466
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Curriculum training groupExperimentalSurgical residents in the curriculum training group will complete the entire curriculum. They will participate in a cognitive component, which will consist of self-directed readings and a faculty-led seminar. Participants will also train to proficiency in laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy and gastrojejunostomy using a laparoscopic box trainer with cadaveric porcine bowels. Finally, for the non-technical skills component participants will participate in an introductory lecture on non-technical skills in surgery, as well as a practice crisis scenario with a debriefing session.
Receives: Procedure: Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculum
Conventional training groupNo interventionParticipants in the conventional training group will proceed through surgical residency training in the usual fashion.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Difference in operating room performance between curriculum trained and conventionally trained groups

    Surgical residents participating in the study will perform a laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy in the operating room. The procedure will be video-recorded through the laparoscopic camera. The videos will be given to a blinded and trained rater who will assess the technical proficiency of the resident using a validated rating scale.

    Measured: 5 months

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Difference in cognitive knowledge between curriculum trained and conventionally trained groups

    Surgical residents in both groups will complete a multiple choice test designed to assess their knowledge in regards to the laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

    Measured: 5 months

  2. Difference in non-technical skills between curriculum trained and conventionally trained groups

    Surgical residents will participate in a simulated operating room crisis scenario. Their performance will be video recorded and assessed by a trained rater using a validated rating scale.

    Measured: 5 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Jun 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2012
  3. Primary completionJun 2013
  4. Study completionJun 2013

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
24 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01610466
Sponsor's protocol ID
SMH 11-202
Status last verified
Nov 2015
First submitted
30 May 2012
Last updated
17 Nov 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Zevin B, Aggarwal R, Grantcharov TP. Simulation-based training and learning curves in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Br J Surg. 2012 Jul;99(7):887-95. doi: 10.1002/bjs.8748. Epub 2012 Apr 18.

    PubMed 22511220
  • Rehrig ST, Powers K, Jones DB. Integrating simulation in surgery as a teaching tool and credentialing standard. J Gastrointest Surg. 2008 Feb;12(2):222-33. doi: 10.1007/s11605-007-0250-8. Epub 2007 Nov 15.

    PubMed 18004630
  • Aggarwal R, Grantcharov TP, Darzi A. Framework for systematic training and assessment of technical skills. J Am Coll Surg. 2007 Apr;204(4):697-705. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2007.01.016. No abstract available.

    PubMed 17382230
  • Fried GM, Feldman LS, Vassiliou MC, Fraser SA, Stanbridge D, Ghitulescu G, Andrew CG. Proving the value of simulation in laparoscopic surgery. Ann Surg. 2004 Sep;240(3):518-25; discussion 525-8. doi: 10.1097/01.sla.0000136941.46529.56.

    PubMed 15319723
  • Aggarwal R, Boza C, Hance J, Leong J, Lacy A, Darzi A. Skills acquisition for laparoscopic gastric bypass in the training laboratory: an innovative approach. Obes Surg. 2007 Jan;17(1):19-27. doi: 10.1007/s11695-007-9001-x.

    PubMed 17355764
  • Catchpole K, Mishra A, Handa A, McCulloch P. Teamwork and error in the operating room: analysis of skills and roles. Ann Surg. 2008 Apr;247(4):699-706. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181642ec8.

    PubMed 18362635
  • Sevdalis N, Davis R, Koutantji M, Undre S, Darzi A, Vincent CA. Reliability of a revised NOTECHS scale for use in surgical teams. Am J Surg. 2008 Aug;196(2):184-90. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.08.070. Epub 2008 Jun 16.

    PubMed 18558392
  • Korndorffer JR Jr, Dunne JB, Sierra R, Stefanidis D, Touchard CL, Scott DJ. Simulator training for laparoscopic suturing using performance goals translates to the operating room. J Am Coll Surg. 2005 Jul;201(1):23-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2005.02.021.

    PubMed 15978440

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Laparoscopic bariatric surgery ex-vivo training curriculum in people with Obesity, run by Unity Health Toronto at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Nov 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Difference in operating room performance between curriculum trained and conventionally trained groups (time frame: 5 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01610466, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Nov 2015.

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