Study on Surgical Video Training: Virtual Learning Curve without Surgery using 30 Consecutive Videos Cases

The aim of this study was to retrospective analyzed improvement of technical skills after 30 consecutive videos cases during young surgeons training or training during a novel procedure using YouTube and other platforms such as a potential training aid for young surgeons. Since 1999, when DiNucci et al coined the term ‘Web 2.0’, surgeons have used online platforms to interact with each other, YouTube is one of these platforms and is becoming one of the most important sources of internet-based medical information. The use of interactive videos has changed teaching of surgery. Videos should be used in addition to standard techniques in the surgical education and seem to reduce learning curves for complex procedures, seem to have the potential to identify variations in operative technique as well as their impact on patient outcomes. In this way, surgical training is evolving and Surgical Video Learning (SVL) is became an emerging concept in surgery. YouTube is a potential training aid for young surgeons, but it is important to assess the quality of videos and to use a video-learning criteria to do this. During Literature research we noticed that assessment of the quality of videos and video-learning criteria were necessary. SVL has advantages on the teaching but has many disadvantages because the use of very short videos, not step by step procedures, not correct procedure and because of low quality video. For these reasons, some authors talked about if video learning is a foe not a friend in learning point for surgeons. We selected videos based on number of views, on lengths of the videos between 5 and over 10 minutes; sources of the videos (primary center), quality of view. We reviewed the current evidence for the video-based surgical education methods, discussing the advantages and disadvantages on the teaching of technical and nontechnical surgical skills and propose a criteria of 30 videos for each surgical procedure to improve learning curve, called “Virtual Learning Curve” (VLC).