Back to 2015 Annual Meeting Display Posters

Objective:
To study and establish a systematic training facility for VATS in India and to share our experience in setting up an exclusive hands on training center for VATS.
Method
Having conducted over 72 VATS worshops, we set out to have a hands-on training center within easy access to road, rail and air travel. Infrastructure was self-funded and industry sponsored. Modules were created for open and endoscopic knot tying and VATS simulation. Sheep carcass was used to train in VATS. 14 candidates from across Asia and Africa were invited for 7-day training. Hand eye coordination was graded from 1 to 4 over the period. An exit examination was conducted. Student improvement and satisfaction scores were tabulated. Student: teacher ratio was 2:1.
Results
All candidates did poorly on day 1 & 2 scoring a bare minimum. Day 3 onwards, scores improved. Eventually 13/14 candidates successfully completed a VATS lobectomy and esophageal mobilization. One candidate dropped out due to ill health. Student satisfaction scored 4/5 and 5/5 in most categories.
Conclusion:
Systematic VATS training on sheep model is possible. A minimum of 7-day intensive mentored course is needed for improvement in hand eye coordination. Intraoperative anatomy can be recreated by using fresh cut sheep carcass with addition of artificial ventilation. Student teacher ratio of 2:1 is optimal. Financial help can be achieved by integration with industry. Locally procured cameras and endoscopes reduce setup costs.