Validation of the Simulated Vaginal Hysterectomy Trainer

Study Objective To establish construct validity of the simulated vaginal hysterectomy trainer (SimVaHT). Design A cross-sectional validation study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting A single academic medical center in the United States. Subjects Fourteen residents in obstetrics and gynecology (4 postgraduate year [PGY] 1, 4 PGY-2, 3 PGY-3 and 3 PGY-4). PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents were grouped to form the “junior level” cohort, whereas PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents comprised the “senior level” cohort. Interventions Each participant underwent surgical skill simulation by performing a simulated vaginal hysterectomy on a practical, inexpensive vaginal hysterectomy trainer. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome was resident surgical skill as assessed by the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills Global Rating Scale (GRS). All obstetrics and gynecology residents were videotaped performing a simulated vaginal hysterectomy on the SimVaHT. The tapes were reviewed independently by 2 blinded urogynecology experts, each of whom provided a GRS score. The primary outcome was overall GRS scores. The secondary outcome was time to complete the exercise. GRS scores were compared between junior- and senior-level residents. Senior-level residents scored significantly higher on the GRS overall compared with junior-level residents (p = .008). Conclusion Construct validity was demonstrated for the SimVaHT. The SimVaHT is a practical and inexpensive tool that may improve resident vaginal surgical skills before their first case in the operating room.