DVM Candidate, Class of 2024 Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York
The process of acquiring surgical skills can negatively impact patient outcomes, particularly in the early phases of training. We anticipated that introducing a High-Fidelity Surgical Simulator Laboratory (HFSSL) as a preface to live surgery would improve patient post-operative outcomes and promote student efficiency and confidence in live animal ovariohysterectomy. A non-randomized controlled study was conducted on two separate live-animal/student-surgeon groups from consecutive DVM class years. The intervention group received a two-hour, graded HFSSL. Post-operative pain scores using the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (GCMPS), necessity of rescue analgesia, duration of the procedure, and student self-declared confidence were evaluated for each cohort. A pain score triggering intervention (≥5) occurred less frequently in the intervention (n=1/82) versus the control (n=16/104) group (p<0.01). Similarly, rescue analgesia was required less frequently in the intervention group (4/82 vs 16/104, p=0.03). Procedure times were 6 minutes shorter on average in the intervention (121±16minutes) than the control (115±21minutes) group (p=0.04). Student confidence prior to the live animal procedure was higher in the intervention (median=7 (IQR=6-8)) than the control (median=6 (IQR=4-7)) group (p<0.01).No significant differences between student groups were detected on age, gender, or level of prior surgical experience. Limitations of this study include absence of randomization and blinding, and use of a historical control group. Intrinsic surgical competency should not appreciably vary between class years but also represents a potential limitation to this study. These findings suggest that implementation of HFSSL in the DVM curriculum benefits patients and augments students’ surgical foundation.
