Learning curves for cardiothoracic and vascular surgical procedures--a systematic review.

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the learning curve (LC) literature and identify the LC of cardiothoracic and vascular surgical procedures.

Summary And Background: The LC describes an observation that a learner's performance improves over time during acquisition of new motor skills. Measuring the LC of surgical procedures has important implications for surgical innovation, education, and patient safety.

A review of the available urology skills training curricula and their validation.

Background: The transforming field of urological surgery continues to demand development of novel training devices and curricula for its trainees. Contemporary trainees have to balance workplace demands while overcoming the cognitive barriers of acquiring skills in rapidly multiplying and advancing surgical techniques. This article provides a brief review of the process involved in developing a surgical curriculum and the current status of real and simulation-based curricula in the 4 subgroups of urological surgical practice: open, laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic.