Workshop for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents: High-Grade Perineal Laceration Repair

A new study evaluated the effectiveness of structured workshops in enhancing the knowledge and skills of obstetrics and gynecology residents related to high-grade perineal laceration repairs. 

This was a quasi-experimental, multicenter study involving 80 residents across different residency levels. An initial evaluation to gauge the baseline knowledge of obstetrics and gynecology residents was conducted using an online patient-management problem (PMP) tool. A workshop was then implemented to teach practical techniques for repairing perineal lacerations, encompassing external and internal anal sphincter repair. The residents' knowledge was reassessed at 3- and 6 months post-workshop. 

The participant residents were distributed across the first, second, and third-year levels of residency (26, 22, and 32 participants, respectively). Three months after the workshop, there was a significant improvement in total PMP scores – increasing from a baseline of 15.5 to 31.3 (with a range of total score -63 to +52). Senior residents exhibited better performance both before and after the three-month intervention. However, in the six-month follow-up, the total PMP score for all residents declined to 12.3, showing no significant difference from pre-education scores across all levels. Similar significant findings were observed for each PMP question at all residency levels.

The findings identified suboptimal knowledge among obstetrics and gynecology residents in repairing perineal lacerations. Although the training workshop substantially enhanced residents' knowledge, its effectiveness waned over time. Hence, continuous or periodic training regarding perineal laceration repair procedures is warranted.

Source: Ghanbari Z, Eshghinejad A, Ghaemi M, Hadizadeh A, Adabi K, Hivechi N, Yazdizadeh M, Pasikhani MD. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India. 2023 Oct 9:1-7.