Ultrasonography Education in General Surgery Resident Training Program and Evaluation of Level of Utrasonography Learning Curves of General Surgery Residents

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasonography (USG) is an imaging technique that enables real-time evaluation of visceral organs via versatile utilization possibilities. Besides diagnosis and treatment contributions, it is crucial in patient follow-up and it also gives an opportunity of intraoperative usage. This study aims to discuss a model of USG training which should be included in the specialist training program and to evaluate the effectiveness of the examination applied to resident doctors and to evaluate the learning curve on patients with thyroid nodule, bile stone stone and intraabdominal free fluid.
METHODS: After the ethics committee approving, practical, theoretical training and per-patient usage of USG was given by the radiologist as a part of the clinical training. After the training, four surgical assistants selected from different years of residenties were practiced on a patient basis, under possesion of the radiologist. A two-stage examination system was determined and the evaluations of the surgical residents were made by the radiologist and the deficiencies were determined specially for the residents. Statistical significance was considered as the level of p<0.05.
RESULTS: The two test results for thyroid nodules were approved to have made significant progress (p: 0.0560). The results of evaluating the intraabdominal free fluid were regarded as successful without any further testing. The two test results for for gallbladder stone were approved to have no statistically difference (p: 0.5316).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: USG training might be a part of general surgery resident training program only a few center in our country. The experience gained in USG training and the evaluation of the learning curves of general surgery residents and the presentation of the literature to them will be helpful. Discussions on training techniques will guide other centers to plan this training.

Genel Cerrahi Uzmanlýk Eðitim Programýnda Ultrasonografi Eðitimi ve Cerrahi Asistanlarýnýn Ultrasonografi Öðrenme Eðrilerinin Deðerlendirilmesi

GÝRÝÞ ve AMAÇ: Ultrasonografi (USG), visseral organlarý, çok yönlü kullaným olanaklarý ile gerçek zamanlý deðerlendirilmesini saðlayan bir görüntüleme tekniðidir. Teþhis ve tedavi katkýlarýnýn yaný sýra, hasta takibinde çok önemlidir ve ayrýca intraoperatif kullaným için fýrsat verir. Bu çalýþma, uzman eðitim programýna dahil edilmesi gereken USG eðitimi modelini tartýþmayý ve asistan doktorlara uygulanan sýnavýn etkinliðini deðerlendirmeyi ve tiroid nodülü, safra taþý ve intraabdominal serbest sývýsý olan hastalarda öðrenme eðrisini deðerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadýr..
YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: Etik kurul onayladýktan sonra, klinik eðitimin bir parçasý olarak radyolog tarafýndan pratik, teorik ve USG' nin hasta baþý kullaným eðitimi verildi.Teorik eðitimden sonra, radyoloðun himayesinde farklý kýdem yýllarýndan seçilen dört cerrahi asistan hasta baþýnda pratik eðitim uygulandý. Ýki aþamalý bir sýnav sistemi belirlendi ve cerrahi asistanlarýnýn deðerlendirilmeleri radyolog tarafýndan yapýldý. Sýnav sonuçlarý istatistiksel olarak deðerlendirildi ve istatistiksel anlamlýlýk düzeyi p <0,05 olarak kabul edildi.
BULGULAR: Tiroid nodülleri için iki test sonucunun istatistiksel olarak anlamlý olduðu onaylandý (p: 0.0560). Ýntraabdominal serbest sývýnýn deðerlendirilmesinin sonuçlarý, baþka bir test yapýlmasýna gerek kalmadan baþarýlý olarak kabul edildi. Safra kesesi taþý için iki test sonucunun istatistiksel olarak hiçbir farký olmadýðý onaylandý (p: 0.5316).
TARTIÞMA ve SONUÇ: USG eðitimi ülkemizde genel cerrahi eðitimi sýrasýnda kýsýtlý merkezin eðitiminin parçasý olabilmektedir. USG eðitiminde kazanýlan deneyimin ve genel cerrahi asistanlarýnýn öðrenme eðrilerinin deðerlendirilmesi ve literatüre sunulmasý faydalý olacaktýr. Eðitim tekniðine dair tartýþmalar baþka merkezlerin bu eðitimi planlayabilmesi için yol gösterici olacaktýr.