Purpose: The learning curve associated with laparoscopic surgery may be associated with higher patient risk, and in the setting of kidney donation such risk may be unacceptable. We characterize the learning curve for hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in the context of a urology training program, and establish a case volume threshold after which improvements in laparoscopic skill can be demonstrated.
Materials and methods: The study included 245 consecutive laparoscopic cases, including 111 donor nephrectomies, performed in 2 (1/2) years to characterize various measures of experience. Documentation of resident involvement in each case was made by a single surgeon and collected prospectively. Outcomes assessed included operative time, blood loss and intraoperative complications.
Results: Of the 111 hand-assisted donor nephrectomies the resident was surgeon in 47%. Operative time proved a reliable and sensitive measure of surgeon experience. Increasing laparoscopic experience, as measured by several parameters, was associated with decreasing operative time (each p <0.02). Measurable improvements in laparoscopic skill were realized after participating in 13 (p = 0.007) or serving as surgeon in as few as 6 (p = 0.02) hand-assisted donor nephrectomies. Conversion (2%) and intraoperative complication rates (3%) were low.
Conclusions: Skills for hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy can be safely taught in the context of a urology training program independent of resident training level. We documented measurable improvements in laparoscopic skill as gauged by operative time. Our findings provide a basis by which expectations can be set for laparoscopic skill acquisition in the context of a residency program and for the laparoscopically naïve surgeon.