Does an aptitude for surgery exist and can we predict it? an experimental study

Zino Ruchay; Julian Pape; Julia-Sophie Cordt; Carolina Kerres; Sebastian Siehl; Karina Jansone; Johannes Ackermann; Guenther Veronika; Mettler Liselotte; Leila Allahqoli; Nicolai Maass; Nees Frauke; Ibrahim Alkatout

doi:10.1097/JS9.0000000000001577

Does an aptitude for surgery exist and can we predict it? an experimental study

Int J Surg. 2024 May 9. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000001577. Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
² Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
³ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
⁴ Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.

PMID: 38729125
DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000001577

Abstract

Background: The selection and allocation of surgeons with a greater potential for high surgical performance are essential aspects of improving the quality, safety and effectiveness of surgical procedures. Objective of this trial was to determine the existence of basic skills and traits that would predict better performance in surgery, and those predictive factors that constitute a driving force in different stages of training.

Materials and methods: The randomized crossover training trial took place from January 2021 to December 2021 and was conducted at an educational training center for minimally invasive surgery. A total of n=87 physicians (residents and experts) from surgical disciplines and n=239 fifth-year medical students were studied. The participants underwent extensive neuropsychological testing and surgical training, which was performed with conventional as well as robot-assisted laparoscopy by way of identical brief tasks conducted six times in a randomized crossover setting. Main Outcome was the latent factor structure of "psychomotor skills", "personality" and "motivation" based on structural equation modeling.

Results: The training performance of both students and physicians was significantly explained by the interaction of the three factors (explained variance: 8.2% for students, 23.8% for physicians). In students, motivation (explained variance 8.4%) and personality (explained variance 4.5%) revealed the highest contribution to surgical training performance (explained variance through psychomotor skills 1.1%). In physicians, psychomotor skills (explained variance 27.4%) made the greatest contribution to surgical training performance (explained variance through motivation 2.3%; explained variance through personality 10.5%).

Conclusion: The study showed that surgical performance is sensitive to, and fragile in regard of non-surgery-related general individual traits. This aligns with the notion that early selection of surgeons with prospects of high surgical performance is possible, and perhaps even necessary in order to keep up with future demands on the medical system.