Training in minimal access surgery

Abstract

Minimal access surgery is a new technique involving surgical treatment with the aid of endoscopy. Training in these procedures has, in the UK, been largely self-taught and haphazard. Variation on a surgical skill already achieved is acceptable, but learning a totally new skill by trial and error on a large scale is both unethical and potentially dangerous for the patients involved. This article represents the personal views of a trainee and his trainer in these new techniques.