Skill qualifications in pediatric minimally invasive surgery

• Published in: Pediatric surgery international Vol. 27; no. 7; pp. 727 - 731
• Main Authors: Iwanaka, Tadashi, Morikawa, Yasuhide, Yamataka, Atsuyuki, Nio, Masaki, Segawa, Osamu, Kawashima, Hiroshi, Sato, Masahito, Terakura, Hirotsugu, Take, Hiroshi, Hirose, Ryuichiro, Yagi, Makoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.07.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Certification; Child; Clinical Competence - standards; Digestive System Diseases - surgery; Double-Blind Method; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Japan; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures - standards; Original Article; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Societies, Medical; Specialties, Surgical - standards; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Japan; Fundoplication; Laparoscopy; Skill qualification; Pediatric; Certification
• ISSN: 0179-0358; 1437-9813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00383-011-2871-y

Purpose In 2006, The Japanese Society of Pediatric Endoscopic Surgeons devised a plan to develop a pediatric endoscopic surgical skill qualification (ESSQ) system. This system is controlled by The Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery. The standard requirement for skills qualification is the ability of each applicant to complete common types of laparoscopic surgery. The main goal of the system is to decrease complications of laparoscopic surgery by evaluating the surgical skills of each applicant and subsequently certify surgeons with adequate skills to perform laparoscopic operations safely. Methods A committee of pediatric ESSQ created a checklist to assess the applicant’s laparoscopic surgical skills. Skills are assessed in a double-blinded fashion by evaluating an unedited video recording of a fundoplication for pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease. Results The initial pediatric ESSQ system was started in 2008. In 2008 and 2009, respectively, 9 out of 17 (53%) and 6 out of 12 (50%) applicants were certified as expert pediatric laparoscopic surgeons. Conclusions Our ultimate goal is to provide safe and appropriate pediatric minimally invasive procedures and to avoid severe complications. To prove the predictive validity of this system, a survey of the outcomes of operations performed by certified pediatric surgeons is required.