Digital video technology and surgical training

For several reasons, surgical training is suffering important reductions in terms of time and opportunities. New approaches to surgical training are required, and new training strategies should be proposed to maintain surgical standards. Affordable technologies allowing digital capture and recording of surgical procedures are now widely available, and we believe that the use of such technologies could play a role in the surgical training. Digital videos are useful to surgeons involved in teaching, because they are much easier to edit and share. In the operating theatre, the use of real-time digitised video during operations performed by trainees has different useful applications. A computer screen, with the use of a mouse cursor, can enhance the interaction between trainees and supervisors and can provide valuable information for observers. Recordings can be used for self-assessment, audit and as a basis for digital logbooks. Finally, digital videos can be sent real-time on network connections, allowing for several different telemedicine applications. Every physician involved with surgical teaching and training should be aware of the potential applications of digital videos and eventually become familiar with them.