Breitkopf, Daniel M.

In response to major practice changes in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), the 2015 Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists responded with modification of the program organization, methods of presenting the information (debates, hands on, flip classrooms) and increased emphasis on current clinical research. The Presidential Program covered broad themes of changes in healthcare technology, teamwork in OB/GYN practice and the importance of advocating for patients. Over 400 abstracts representing a broad range of clinical and basic science research were presented. Changes in the Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting should allow the membership to be more prepared and pro-active as the practice of OB/GYN evolves.

Objective. To assess the impact of gynecology residents’ previous laparoscopic experience on the learning curve of robotic suturing techniques and the value of initial structured teaching in dry lab prior to surgery. Methods. Thirteen gynecology residents with no previous robotic surgery experience were divided into Group 1, consisting of residents with 2 or fewer laparoscopic experiences, and Group 2, consisting of residents with 3 or more laparoscopic experiences. Group 1 had a dry-laboratory training in suturing prior to their initial experience in the operating room. Results. For all residents, it took on average 382±159 seconds for laparoscopic suturing and 326±196 seconds for robotic suturing (P=0.12). Residents in Group 1 had a lower mean suture time than residents in Group 2 for laparoscopic suturing (P=0.009). The residents in Group 2, however, had a lower mean suture time on the robot compared to Group 1 (P=0.5). Conclusion. Residents with previous laparoscopic suturing experience may gain more from a robotic surgery experience than those with limited laparoscopic surgery experience. In addition, dry lab training is more efficient than hands-on training in the initial phase of teaching for both laparoscopic and robotic suturing skills.