The impact of a full-time director of minimally invasive surgery - Clinical practice, education, and research

Background: One of the biggest challenges of the laparoscopic surgery revolution is resident training. To enhance resident training, some programs have hired an experienced laparoscopic surgeon. This study documents the impact of this addition to our training program. Methods: The number and types of laparoscopic cases, the number of laparoscopic training sessions, and the number of minimally invasive research projects were tabulated for 12-month periods before (period 1) and after (period 2) the arrival of the laparoscopic surgeon. Results: Laparoscopic procedures increased from 524 (period 1) to 1,077 (period 2). Advanced procedures increased from 213 to 629. Laparoscopic training sessions increased from 2 to 11, and approved minimally invasive research projects increased from 0 to 7. Conclusions: The addition of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon in a resident training program increased laparoscopic cases in which the residents participate by more than 100%. Laparoscopic training sessions and minimally invasive research projects also increased measurably.