Keep it simple: a crosshair on the screen during proctored laparoscopic surgeries.

Introduction: Inside the operating room, experts use verbal instructions to guide surgical novices through laparoscopic procedures. In this study, we evaluated the use of a crosshair attached to the video monitor, as a hands-free pointing tool to simplify instructions during operation.

Methods: Ten surgical novices performed two elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies within a week of each other, randomized such that one was performed with and the other without using the crosshair.