Structure And Outcome Of The First Basic Surgical Skill Course In Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery In A Low Income Country

Abstract

Background: Acquisition of basic surgical skills is fundamental to achieve safety and proficiency in the practice of all surgical specialties. Despite the apparent benefits of basic surgical skills courses, these have not been incorporated into oral and maxillofacial training in low-income countries like Nigeria.

Objectives: This paper presents the structure and outcome of the first basic surgical skills course in oral and maxillofacial surgery organized by the West African College of Surgeons at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria using locally adapted materials.

Methods: The course was a two-day programme with seven sessions: theatre room routine, surgical knot tying, wiring techniques, osteosynthesis, suturing techniques, third molar surgery and vessel ligation procedure. Each of the sessions consisted of a short instructional lecture and a practical session. The course was assessed based on pre- and post-tests and participants’ perception of the course. Mean scores were compared using student t-test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Results: Twenty junior residents participated in the course, 10 males and 10 females with a mean age of 34.4 (SD ± 3.717) years. The mean scores of the pre- and post-tests were statistically significant with p = 0.000 and 0.014 for the theory and practical sessions respectively. The course was given an overall mean score of 8.68 (SD ± 0.820) out of a maximum of 10 points.

Conclusion: OMS BSS is a valuable course that has a significant impact on skills acquisition in oral and maxillofacial surgery.