Plenary Session
AB097. SOH26AB_0243. Simulation vs. traditional training in abdominal wall closure: assessing inter-rater validity and competency outcomes in junior surgical trainees—a randomised controlled trial
Mohammed Al Azzawi1,2, William Duggan1,2, Fiachra McHugh1,2, Adam Roche2,3, Caitriona Cahir2, Riya Sharma2, Niamh McCawley1,2, Frank Cunningham2, Thomas Walsh2, Arnold Hill1,2
1Department of General Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland;
2Department of General Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland;
3The RCSI SIM Department, Centre for Simulation Education and Research, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Background: Simulation-based training has become an integral part of surgical training. Ethical concerns, time constraints, and patient safety can negatively affect the real-time operative experience of junior surgical trainees when performing complex tasks. The RCSI SIM Department at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland developed a high-fidelity model for trainees to practice laparotomy wound closure. This study aims to evaluate the role of a laparotomy wound-closure simulation model in achieving competency amongst surgical trainees.
Methods: Following ethics approval, eight junior surgical trainees were randomised; the interventional group received two 1-hour training sessions on the laparotomy wound-closure model. Following the patients’ consent, laparotomy wound closure was filmed, and the patients’ and trainees’ anonymity was ensured. Three consultant surgeons assessed the videos using the modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSAT) tool. Inter-rater validity and dichotomous OSAT outcomes were measured using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and Fisher’s exact test was performed for statistical significance.
Results: Twenty videos were filmed and analysed (intervention =11, control =9) between September 2024 and June 2025. The median OSAT score was higher in the intervention group (24.5 vs. 23, P=0.35). The intervention group completed the task in <20 minutes (60% vs. 50%, P>0.99) and had <3 interventions by the consultant (70% vs. 50%, P=0.65). Other OSAT outcomes were comparable between the two groups. Inter-rater validity ranged from fair to substantial agreement and reliability across the OSAT scoring categories.
Conclusions: The laparotomy wound-closure model is not inferior to traditional training in achieving task competency amongst junior surgical trainees. Moreover, the model demonstrated high inter-rater validity among assessors.
Keywords: Simulation-based education; surgical training; complex surgical tasks; junior surgical trainees; competency
Acknowledgments
None.
Funding: None.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
doi: 10.21037/map-26-ab097
Cite this abstract as: Al Azzawi M, Duggan W, McHugh F, Roche A, Cahir C, Sharma R, McCawley N, Cunningham F, Walsh T, Hill A. AB097. SOH26AB_0243. Simulation vs. traditional training in abdominal wall closure: assessing inter-rater validity and competency outcomes in junior surgical trainees—a randomised controlled trial. Mesentery Peritoneum 2026;10:AB097.
