SURGEONS’ PERSPECTIVES ON MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY TRAINING IN SUDAN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS arwawaleed99@gmail.com

 

SURGEONS’ PERSPECTIVES ON MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY TRAINING IN SUDAN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

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Mugahid M. Khair mugahidabdelmutalib@gmail.com Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum Khartoum Sudan

Sudan

Oral or Poster

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) represents a major shift in surgical practice. Global disparities in surgical care are exacerbated by inaccessibility to laparoscopic procedures in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Data on Sudanese surgical trainees’ involvement in laparoscopy training are inadequate. Our study addresses the status of MIS training in Sudan at the national level.

A web-based survey was administered to general and pediatrics surgeons and urologists; assessing laparoscopic practice and training, and their perceived barriers. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science SPSS v 26.

Among 110 respondents, 94 (85.5%) were males, and 79 (71.8%) were general surgeons. 50.9% received additional laparoscopic training after residency, with 46.7% received it abroad. Regarding the laparoscopic practice, 20.0% reported never performing laparoscopic surgery. Only 12.7% strongly agreed that residency prepares them adequately for MIS practice. Most surgeons (41.8%) selected R3 as the optimal stage for introducing basic laparoscopic training. The most frequently reported barriers to laparoscopic practice included: limited access to training equipment (66.4%) and high cost of laparoscopic equipment (65.5%). Lack of institutional support was the highest reported barrier to sustaining laparoscopic training programs (76.4%). The ongoing war has strongly affected MIS training as reflected by 73.6% of participants.

“Nobody wants a big, painful incision”. MIS contributes substantially to enhanced recovery and patients’ satisfaction. A structured laparoscopy training should be incorporated into the surgical residency with efforts directed to overcome barriers and guarantee training’s accessibility and efficiency. It isn’t a luxury, yet a need towards better surgical outcomes.