Is your surgeon as sharp as the scalpel they are cutting you with?
Cognitive training for the prevention of skill decay in surgeons.
Staying sharp and ready in any high performance environment is imperative. When the stakes are high, there is often not time to get a few practice rounds in before the main event. Over time skills can decline without regular mental practice and it has been shown that cognitive training can be of critical importance.
High performing environments are not only those related to sports. If you have the experience of being under the knife, you know the importance of trusting the surgeon and their mental sharpness. Surgeons are at times standing, concentrating and working for hours on end, without breaks and at odd times of the night. Some are required to think quickly and clearly in an emergency. Those with such heavy mental demands need the mental capacity to remain sharp and focused, the consequences of mistakes are high.
- Cognitive training has been shown to be an effective tool for performance improvement when performed alone or in combination with motor training under ordinary circumstances.
- Cognitive training can assist those who work in “high performing, high pressure” environments. Emergency services, Doctors, Nurses, Pilots, are some examples of such environments.
Abstract
Surgical tasks are prone to skill decay. During unprecedented circumstances, such as an epidemic, personal illness, or injury, orthopedic surgeons may not be performing surgical procedures for an uncertain period of time. While not being able to execute regular surgical tasks or use surgical simulators, skill decay can be prevented with regular mental practice, using a scientifically proven skill acquisition and retaining tool. This paper describes different theories on cognitive training answering the question on how it works and offers a brief review of its application in surgery. Additionally, practical recommendations are proposed for performing mental training while not performing surgical procedures.
Cognitive training in surgery
Surgery as a medical specialty containing complex psychomotor and cognitive tasks is without any doubt subject to skill decay when tasks are not being performed for a certain period (Arthur et al. 1998). It is not only a question of one’s interest but is also a surgeon’s duty to master the skills and retain them. Novice surgeons and surgical trainees usually find themselves in cognitive and integrational phases of learning, thus being especially vulnerable to the decay of their skills, which can happen after a short retention interval (Sugihara et al. 2018). On such occasions, cognitive training can be of critical importance as it has been proven to enhance knowledge of a procedure, flow of an operation, and preparedness for the task (Komesu et al. 2009).
Conclusion
In extraordinary conditions, specific orthopedic surgical skills are prone to decay in the case of nonperformance. Cognitive training has been shown to be an effective tool for performance improvement when performed alone or in combination with motor training under ordinary circumstances. In the case of limited access to actual performance, mental practice seems to be reasonable if not mandatory for both novice and experienced surgeons. Not only would such training prevent surgical skill decay but it would probably also lower the anticipatory anxiety level on returning to the operating theatre.
How to select the best intervention for maximum potential.
What is the best intervention to include with your cognitive training? There are many ways to integrate your cognitive training into your physical training regime. In this article we will cover the most recent research to date.
Recent research has shown many benefits with
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- Moderate Continuous Aerobic Training (MCT)
- Resistance Training (RT) for your Brain
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