[en] [en] OBJECTIVE: The resource-limited environment in Sub-Saharan countries, with a lack of expert trainers, impedes the progress of laparoscopic training. This study aimed to identify the opportunities and limitations of laparoscopic surgery training in the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) countries.
DESIGN AND SETTING: A multicountry online survey was conducted from January 2021 to October 2021 in COSECSA-accredited training hospitals within 16 countries. Available resources and challenges faced in order to set up well-structured laparoscopic training programs were explored.
RESULTS: Ninety-four surgeons answered the questionnaire. The average resources reported per hospital were 3 trained laparoscopic surgeons, 2 laparoscopic towers, and 2 sets of laparoscopic instruments. The training of the majority of these surgeons has been in local institutions (53%), a further 37% within African countries and only 10% outside Africa. Approximately 45% of them declared that laparoscopic modules were planned within the University Curricula, while only 18% of surgeons recognized that laparoscopic modules are only planned within the COSECSA program. About 57% of participants reported that at the end of residency training, graduating surgeons were not able to perform basic laparoscopic procedures. The quoted barriers included: limited laparoscopic equipment, absence of simulation lab, lack of qualified trainers, lack of training programs and time for teaching by skilled doctors, and lack of institutional support.
CONCLUSIONS: The well-structured set up of laparoscopic training programs in the COSECSA region is hindered due to the lack of qualified personnel and insufficient resources for the acquisition of equipment and simulation laboratories. Ongoing efforts to set up laparoscopic programs through the development of adaptive curricula, innovative strategies for reduction of equipment cost and adequate training of surgeons are crucial for patient safety and the development of laparoscopy.
Disciplines :
Surgery
Author, co-author :
Nyundo, Martin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Faculté de Médecine > Form. doct. sc. méd. (paysage) ; Department of Surgery, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. Electronic address: nyundomartin@gmail.com
Umugwaneza, Nathalie ; Department of Surgery, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Bekele, Abebe ; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
Chikoya, Laston ; Department of Neurosurgery, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia
Detry, Olivier ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de chirurgie abdo, sénologique, endocrine et de transplantation
Gashegu, Julien; Department of Surgery, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda, Clinical Anatomy Department, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Language :
English
Title :
Exploring Laparoscopic Surgery Training Opportunities in the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa region.
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