[French resident's performance on laparoscopic surgery box trainer: 7-year results of pelvitrainer contests].

Objectives: The study objectives were to analyze the resident's laparoscopic surgery performance in order to build a self-assessment data set, to identify discriminatory exercises and to investigate the suturing time changes.

Methods: From 2007 to 2014, the French Association of Urologist in Training (AFUF) organized 7 pelvitrainer contests. Participant scores on 11 laparoscopic surgery exercises were evaluated.

Results: Sixty-six residents participated to these contests and performed 11 exercises each. Twenty-two (33.3 %) participants were beginners, 26 (39.4 %) intermediates et 18 (27.3 %) experienced. The participant scores were gathered into a data set including the average time per exercise. We found a time scoring improvement related to the resident experience for all exercises. A significant decline in time was noted for exercise 8 and 9 between beginners and intermediates (139s [±71]), (173.9s [±118.3]) and between beginners and experienced (80.6s [±26.7]), (94,1s [±42.7]) with a P<0.05. The correlation coefficient for the exercise 11 duration (vesico-uretral anastomosis) was 0.04 over a 7-year period (P=0.44).

Conclusion: The study provided a data set on 11 laparoscopic surgery tasks which can be consulted by all residents as a reference in a self-assessment process. Two exercises (8 and 9) discriminated beginners from intermediates and experienced groups and could be used as a benchmark ahead of an operating room procedure. The vesico-uretral anastomosis duration (exercise 11) did not improve significantly between 2006 and 2014.

Level Of Evidence: 4.