Simulation Research
Surgical Skills Training
Residents participate in a gynecologic surgical simulation program that includes the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS). Dr. Hye-Chun Hur, Co-director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, is evaluating this program as assessment tool for surgical competence. The FLS program consists of a cognitive and psychomotor skills component, and is a joint educational effort initiated by SAGES, and supported by the American College of Surgeons. Residents have 24-hour access to our on-site simulation laboratory and to the SAGES-FLS 2-part CD-rom that reviews topics and skills for safe laparoscopic practice. The gynecologic faculty meet monthly with the residents for a proctored group practice session to provide feedback.
Pelv-Sim
Dr. Chris Awtrey, Co-director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, created the Pelv-Sim, an innovative training model designed to help residents build gynecologic laparoscopic suturing skills. It is a simple box model, portable enough to be used by residents at home. It can also be used with a laparoscope and video tower in to better simulate the live operating experience. The Pelv-Sim model consists of two ports for laparoscopic instruments, a simulated open vaginal cuff, ovary, two infundibulopelvic ligaments, and fascia. The model simulates actual surgical scenarios that gynecologic surgeons would encounter in the operating room. The four simulated tasks are closing an open vaginal cuff, transposing an ovary to the pelvic sidewall, ligating an infundibulopelvic ligament, and closing a port-site fascial incision. A prospective randomized controlled trial using this model was recently published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology.
Obstetrical Virtual Patient
Funded by the Macy Foundation, Hope Ricciotti, MD, authored a normal pregnancy virtual patient as part of a full series produced by the Shapiro Institute for Education and Research. The educational effect of the OB Virtual Patient as a teaching tool was evaluated in a randomized, controlled study of Harvard Medical Students.This data is currently being analyzed for publication.
