Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study

Background: More than 20 million patients worldwide undergo groin hernia repair annually. Every year more than 800,000 inguinal hernia repairs are performed in the United States alone. Since the first report by Ger et al. in 1990, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has gained wide acceptance due to...

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Main Authors: Umberto Bracale, Giovanni Merola, Antonio Sciuto, Giuseppe Cavallaro, Jacopo Andreuccetti, Giusto Pignata
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-11-01
Series:Journal of Investigative Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941939.2018.1468944
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author Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Merola
Antonio Sciuto
Giuseppe Cavallaro
Jacopo Andreuccetti
Giusto Pignata
author_facet Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Merola
Antonio Sciuto
Giuseppe Cavallaro
Jacopo Andreuccetti
Giusto Pignata
author_sort Umberto Bracale
collection DOAJ
description Background: More than 20 million patients worldwide undergo groin hernia repair annually. Every year more than 800,000 inguinal hernia repairs are performed in the United States alone. Since the first report by Ger et al. in 1990, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has gained wide acceptance due to its many advantages with more than 20% of inguinal hernias treated by this approach. The aim of our study is to estimate the number of cases needed over the course of a trainee's learning curve period to achieve stabilization of operating time and intra and post-operative complication rates when performing laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP). Methods: We analyzed data from the first 100 TAPP procedures performed by two different trainees (trainee A & B) and compared it with a homogeneous group of 100 procedures performed by a senior surgeon. Two tests were used to evaluate completion of the learning curve: the Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) and KPSS tests. The CUSUM test evaluated when the trainee's operative time became consistently similar to that of the senior surgeon, while the KPSS test evaluated when the trainee's operative time became stationary. Results: No differences in intra and post-operative data were noted between the three groups. The CUSUM test showed that trainee A completed his learning curve after 60 procedures, while trainee B completed it after 65 procedures. The KPSS test showed that the operative time stabilized after 20 procedures for trainee A and after 50 procedures for trainee B, respectively. Conclusions: Our evaluation shows that both trainees fully completed their learning curves for the TAPP after 65 procedures, providing us with a parameter which can be taken into consideration when establishing the minimum volume necessary to guarantee correct training in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair by a TAPP technique.
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spelling doaj.art-d48ea1242aaf4ae3be1d987809d075192023-09-15T10:07:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Investigative Surgery0894-19391521-05532019-11-0132873874510.1080/08941939.2018.14689441468944Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement StudyUmberto Bracale0Giovanni Merola1Antonio Sciuto2Giuseppe Cavallaro3Jacopo Andreuccetti4Giusto Pignata5University Federico II Naples ItalyUniversity Federico II Naples ItalyCasa Sollievo della Sofferenza Research HospitalSapienza UniversitySan Camillo HospitalSan Camillo HospitalBackground: More than 20 million patients worldwide undergo groin hernia repair annually. Every year more than 800,000 inguinal hernia repairs are performed in the United States alone. Since the first report by Ger et al. in 1990, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has gained wide acceptance due to its many advantages with more than 20% of inguinal hernias treated by this approach. The aim of our study is to estimate the number of cases needed over the course of a trainee's learning curve period to achieve stabilization of operating time and intra and post-operative complication rates when performing laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP). Methods: We analyzed data from the first 100 TAPP procedures performed by two different trainees (trainee A & B) and compared it with a homogeneous group of 100 procedures performed by a senior surgeon. Two tests were used to evaluate completion of the learning curve: the Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) and KPSS tests. The CUSUM test evaluated when the trainee's operative time became consistently similar to that of the senior surgeon, while the KPSS test evaluated when the trainee's operative time became stationary. Results: No differences in intra and post-operative data were noted between the three groups. The CUSUM test showed that trainee A completed his learning curve after 60 procedures, while trainee B completed it after 65 procedures. The KPSS test showed that the operative time stabilized after 20 procedures for trainee A and after 50 procedures for trainee B, respectively. Conclusions: Our evaluation shows that both trainees fully completed their learning curves for the TAPP after 65 procedures, providing us with a parameter which can be taken into consideration when establishing the minimum volume necessary to guarantee correct training in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair by a TAPP technique.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941939.2018.1468944tapplearning curveteaching in surgerylaparoscopic hernia repairtraining
spellingShingle Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Merola
Antonio Sciuto
Giuseppe Cavallaro
Jacopo Andreuccetti
Giusto Pignata
Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
Journal of Investigative Surgery
tapp
learning curve
teaching in surgery
laparoscopic hernia repair
training
title Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
title_full Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
title_fullStr Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
title_full_unstemmed Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
title_short Achieving the Learning Curve in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair by Tapp: A Quality Improvement Study
title_sort achieving the learning curve in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair by tapp a quality improvement study
topic tapp
learning curve
teaching in surgery
laparoscopic hernia repair
training
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941939.2018.1468944
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