Training residents in the surgical repair of intraoperative bowel and bladder injuries

The need to familiarize residents with the management of intraoperative inj uries of the bowel and bladder is often neglected in obstetrics and gynecol ogy residency programs. The authors designed an educational training progra m to address this issue, using live adult swine as a model. Teams of two re sidents, supervised by a faculty member, practiced the repair of various ty pes of bowel and bladder injuries. A survey of the house staff indicated a prevailing feeling of having gained valuable hands-on surgical experience. An outline of the training session is given, as well as a briefing on the i ncidence, prevention, and management of these types of injuries.