Does 3D Visualisation Improve Performance of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy by Junior Surgeons?

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is currently the most commonly performed major abdominal surgery in Western countries. Ever since the introduction of laparoscopic surgery in the late 1980s, cholecystectomies are now routinely performed laparoscopically; concomitantly the introduction and refinement of other laparoscopic abdominal surgeries have rapidly progressed due to the early experience and safety profile seen in LC. The introduction of stereoscopes which allow for 3D visual feedback has been postulated to overcome setbacks encountered in conventional 2-dimensional (2D) laparoscopic surgery. Since its introduction in the mid-2000s, 3D visualisation has been proven to be advantageous over 2D visualisation, especially so within the context of training junior surgeons in controlled, experimental settings. The body of evidence on benefits of 3D visualisation within the clinical setting, i.e. when applied on live patients in operating theatres, remains small and weak. The previous publications however did not extrapolate any potential benefits on patients' well-being in correlation to their reported benefits and neither did they explore any potential benefits in reducing operative complications. We decided to embark on a study to investigate any peri-operative advantage conferred on junior surgeons in performing LC using 3D visualisation as the majority of LCs in Sibu Hospital are carried out by junior surgeons.