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LHSC surgery residents compete in suturing competition

 

General surgery residents must learn a variety of skills to become successful at their job; one of the most fundamental being the ability to suture.

"Great surgeons must be able to sew perfectly,” says Dr. Christopher Schlachta, medical director of CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics).

With the growing emergence of minimally invasive surgery, more residents are now also being trained on how to suture using laparoscopic techniques – an extremely advanced skill according Schlachta, and one that LHSC’s general surgery residents put to the test in a laparoscopic suturing contest in May.

Judged by both speed and precision, the two top finishers at the competition in CSTAR’s lab then went on to compete against one another at grand rounds a month later. The winner of that challenge, Dr. Kris Croome, is set to represent LHSC in a national competition in September.

Croome, a fifth-year general surgery resident, says he appreciates how this competition increases interest in building laparoscopic surgical skills.

"It’s a fun competition, but overall the point is to get people practicing. Most surgical residents have very type-A personalities, and this works well with that competitive spirit,” he says.

The competition began three years ago among LHSC’s surgical residents. After other residency programs in Canada heard of it, they began implementing their own challenges and last year Dr. Schlachta challenged them to a national competition with 10 programs competing.

"We started something here in London that is now a national program,” says Schlachta. “It may be fun for the residents, but it is also going to result in better surgeons and better patient outcomes.”

Hundreds of surgeons will watch Croome represent LHSC at the Canadian Surgery Forum on Sept. 2 in Quebec City. He says his overall strategy to win is to stay focused and confident in his own skill.

"You have to try not to get distracted by what the opponent is doing. If you get nervous, your adrenaline starts to flow and you can develop a hand tremor,” says Croome.

Watch the video above from the original competition in June that shows just how tricky this skill can be.

[Update, Sept. 3, 2010 — Congratulations to Dr. Croome who competed in the laparoscopic suture contest on Sept. 2 at the opening ceremonies of the Canadian Surgery Forum in Quebec City. Croome made it through the two qualifying rounds of the competition and finished as national runner up in the competition final. Fifteen of 16 surgical residency training programs in Canada participated in front of more than 150 spectators.]

Dr. Rob Leeper, general surgery resident, practices his laparoscopic suturing skills before he competes in a competition amongst his peers.