1628 Use of Fundamentals Of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) Testing to Assess Gynecologic Surgeons: 10 Years of Experience

Abstract

Study Objective To assess Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) exam scores among OBGYN and general surgery providers. Design This is a descriptive study of all FLS examinees in OBGYN and general surgery and at a single academic institution (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center [BIDMC], Boston, MA) from July 2007 to May 2018. We compared categorical and continuous variables with Chi-square, t, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Setting N/A Patients or Participants N/A Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results 205 BIDMC trainees and faculty took the FLS exam between July 2007 and May 2018 of which 176 were identified to be OBGYN or general surgery providers. The FLS pass rate was high for both specialties (98.7% OBGYN, 99.0% surgery, p= 0.42). When comparing providers in OBGYN and general surgery, no difference was found in manual skills score (mean 594.9 OBGYN vs 601.0 surgery, p=0.59), however, a significant difference was noted in the cognitive scores with surgery providers scoring higher than OBGYN providers (mean 533.8 OBGYN vs 583.4 surgery, p=0.0003). In a multivariate linear regression model adjusting for specialty, level of training, age, sex, and test year, none of the variables were significant predictors for manual scores. However, age, sex, and test year were predictors for cognitive scores with greater scores associated with younger age, male sex, and advancing calendar year. Surgical specialty was not a predictor for manual or cognitive scores. Conclusion Overall, both OBGYN and surgery residents had a high FLS pass rate. The manual skills test scores were comparable between specialties, but the cognitive scores were lower for OBGYN compared to surgery providers. Further investigation regarding validity of the cognitive component of the FLS exam for OBGYN providers may be warranted.