Evaluation of 2,590 urological laparoscopic surgeries undertaken by urological surgeons accredited by an endoscopic surgical skill qualification system in urological laparoscopy in Japan.

Background: In 2003, the Japanese Urological Association (JUA) and Japanese Society of Endourology (JSE) established a urological laparoscopic skill qualification system, called the Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System in Urological Laparoscopy of JUA and JSE (ESSQSJJ). The main goal of the system is to decrease the prevalence of complications associated with laparoscopic surgery. To validate the qualification system, perioperative outcome and the prevalence of complications in different types of urological laparoscopic surgery performed by accredited surgeons were evaluated.

Methods: One hundred thirty-six surgeons who obtained the qualification in 2004 were prospectively asked to submit intraoperative and postoperative data of their latest 20 cases at the end of 2009, along with the number of laparoscopic urological surgeries performed in each year for a 5-year period (2004-2009). Intraoperative and postoperative complications were graded according to the Satava classification and modified Clavien classification, respectively.

Results: Data of 2,590 urological laparoscopic surgeries of 130 surgeons, including 904 laparoscopic radical nephrectomies, 430 laparoscopic nephroureterectomies, 390 laparoscopic adrenalectomies, 320 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies, and 170 laparoscopic partial nephrectomies, were analyzed. Complications were noted in 97 (3.7%) patients. Major intraoperative complications (grade II or III) occurred in 32 (1.2%) patients, and major postoperative complications (grade III or higher) occurred in 24 (0.9%) patients. The prevalence of conversion to open surgery, allogeneic transfusion, and perioperative mortality was 2.5%, 1.6%, and 0%, respectively. The number of surgeries performed by each qualified surgeon or the role of the surgeon (main operator vs. mentor/instructor) in the surgery did not affect the prevalence of intraoperative complications or postoperative complications. The open conversion rate was significantly higher in surgeons with a low surgical volume.

Conclusions: ESSQSJJ can ensure urological laparoscopic surgeons who can perform various types of urological laparoscopic surgeries with a low prevalence of perioperative complications and reasonable outcomes.