Who should decide the best minimally invasive approach? Should we listen to our patients?

Which Cholecystectomy do Medical Students Prefer?

Introduction:

This study was undertaken to identify which minimally invasive technique medical students prefer for cholecystectomy and what factors determine their decision.

Methods:

Brazilian medical students watched a video reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of six different surgical approaches to cholecystectomy: open surgery, conventional laparoscopy, mini-laparoscopy (MINI), single-incision laparoscopic surgery, natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, and robotic surgery. Respondents then answered questions about hypothetical situations in which the participants would be submitted to elective cholecystectomy.

Results:

One hundred eleven medical students completed the survey, 60 females (54%) and 51 males (46%). Most students were 19–26 years old. When asked whether they would consider an open cholecystectomy if minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques were available, only 9% answered yes. Senior medical students were the least willing to consider open surgery (P = .036). When asked if they would prefer conventional laparoscopy, MINI, or robotic surgery for their cholecystectomy, 85% of the women and 63% of the men chose MINI (P = .025). When asked if they would consider a single-incision laparoscopic surgery or natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery approach, 94 respondents (84%) answered no. When asked to rank which factors they consider the most important when choosing a surgical technique, they ranked safety of the procedure first (58%) and surgeon experience second (30%).

Conclusion:

When Brazilian medical students were asked to select a surgical approach for cholecystectomy, most chose MINI. The preference for MINI was strongest amongst female medical students. Both female and male medical students ranked safety as the most important factor.