Visual spatial perception and surgical competence.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: Proficiency in visual spatial perception (VSP) is a hypothetical component of surgical competence. METHODS: Four tests of VSP, taken from the Cognitive Laterality Battery (CLB), were administered to 301 surgeons and surgical residents. Mean scores on each test were compared by Student t tests to those of the normative sample (n = 251) on which the test was originally standardized. RESULTS: Mean scores on two of the tests (Orientation, Touching Blocks) were significantly greater (P <0.01) for the study sample than for the normative sample, while mean scores on the other two subtests (Form Completion, Localization) were not. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons tend to outperform the general population on tests of high-level VSP abilities (ie, envisioning depth and mentally manipulating two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures) identified previously as correlates of surgical skill acquisition. VSP proficiency is a valid component of surgical competence that should perhaps be included in career selection discussions with medical students and in assessment of the competence of surgeons.

Author information

Author/s: Risucci, Donald A (DA);

Affiliation: Department of Surgery, New York Medical College, Munger Pavilion, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA. Donald_Risucci(-atsign-)nymc.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Evaluation Studies; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: American journal of surgery (Am J Surg), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 184 (issue 3) : pp 291-5

Dates: Created 2002/09/30; Completed 2002/10/16; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 12354602, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

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