Education and debate

Teaching laparoscopic surgery: the need for guidelines

Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull HU3 2JZ St James's University Hospital, Leeds Stepping Hill Hospital Stockport Correspondence to: Mr Royston.

There is a risk that minimally invasive surgery will fall into disrepute unless adequate steps are taken to reassure the public. Some form of accreditation after a recognised training scheme would go a long way towards allaying these fears. The cost of training surgeons must be addressed. Adequate training will probably pay dividends in reduced litigation. The royal colleges should be responsible for maintaining standards of teaching on recognised courses, setting criteria for accreditation, and supervising a national audit of all laparoscopic procedures.

The explosion of interest in minimally invasive surgery among surgeons and gynaecologists represents the most dramatic change in surgery since the introduction of anaesthesia. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989 and has rapidly become the treatment of choice for symptomatic gall stones. Studies from the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom have shown a decreased mortality and shorter inpatient . . . [Full text of this article]

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