NNUH training for paediatric consultants recognised in international journal

A study into the effectiveness of a training programme for paediatric surgeons ran at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) has been published in the prestigious ‘Journal of Pediatric Surgery’.

Consultant Paediatric and Neonatal Surgeon Mr Thomas Tsang leads the training programme for key-hole surgery to repair inguinal herniae. Trainees practise the procedure in the Skills Laboratory at the hospital using a simulated hernia model. They then progress onto patients’ operation where they carry out part of the procedure and progress through the whole operation in order of difficulty, under the supervision of a consultant surgeon. Once trainees are deemed competent they go on to perform the full 40-50 minute operation independently.

Over 200 paediatric patients have been operated on in this way at NNUH between 2003 and 2011, most of who were under the age of one. Key-hole surgery is a newer technique for an inguinal hernia repair and it has the advantage of minimising tissue damage and scarring for patients.

The study concluded that the outcomes for patients operated on by trainees were comparable to those carried out by the consultant surgeon giving the training.

Mr Thomas Tsang said: “This publication recognises all the work that goes on at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital ensuring our trainee surgeons are fully competent in carrying out this procedure. It's a fantastic achievement to have this article published and share our practice with a global audience of paediatric surgeons.”

The paper titled “Outcomes of a structured training programme for paediatric laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair” was written by Paediatric and Neonatal Surgeon Mr Thomas Tsang, and trainee surgeons Mr Alex Cho and Miss Sonia Basson.