Teaching Training and Surgical Education in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) of the Spine: What Are the Best Teaching and Learning Strategies for MIS? Do We Have Any Experience and Data?

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review and transversal study.

OBJECTIVE: Advances in new technologies give the surgeons confidence to manage complex spine conditions with a lower morbidity rate. This has changed the expectations of patients and medical payers and foreshadows the shift now underway: the use of minimally invasive techniques. The ethical considerations of learning directly on patients require a change in the education and training programs.

METHODS: The education paradigm has changed, and surgical training on minimally invasive surgery of the spine (MISS) techniques should follow a "curriculum." The assessment of skill proficiency while learning the MISS techniques must be measurable to objectively show the performance gained over time and the changes that should be performed during training. Different strategies include "ex vivo" and "in vivo" training.

RESULTS: We have worked on a curriculum in which the participants can perceive the growth in their knowledge through the different educational opportunities. There are 3 levels: basic, advanced, and masters.

CONCLUSIONS: We developed an educational curriculum for MISS rationale and techniques, that showed to be effective and interesting in our region.