Performing in the surgical amphitheater of today: Perception of urologists conducting live case demonstrations

Purpose: To evaluate the perception of urologists who have participated in live case demonstrations (LCDs) regarding safety, educational value/benefits, and ethics. Methods: A 19-question anonymous survey was sent to urologists who performed and/or moderated LCDs at the World Congress of Endourology meetings from 2008 to 2012. E-survey was distributed via e-mail, and automatic reminders were sent 2 weeks after original distribution if no response was obtained. Results: Eighty-one percent (92/113) of the urologists responded to the survey of whom 75% practice full time in an academic setting. Only 48.0% were fellowship trained, however. More than 60% had performed more than five LCDs at their home and/or away institutions. Performing LCD at an away institution was associated with a higher level of anxiety when compared with performing LCDs at a home institution (79.8% vs 34.6%; P<0.01). Respondents considered film equipment and crew; audience and moderator discussions; unfamiliar team, instruments and tools; language barrier; and having to narrate the procedure, as distractors. Seventy-nine percent considered LCD as an ethical practice, and 90.5% regarded LCDs as a "beneficial" and a "great way" to educate. Similarly, considering the various factors and conditions associated with LCDs, 95% would agree to participate in another LCD. Conclusion: LCDs are perceived to be an effective mode of education by performers and moderators of LCDs. Standard guidelines and policies are needed, however, for the selection of patient, surgeon and team, equipment, and facility. Studies are needed to evaluate the impact of this education process.