A National Review of the Frequency of Minimally Invasive Surgery Among General Surgery Residents: Assessment of ACGME Case Logs During 2 Decades of General Surgery Resident Training

IMPORTANCE: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has created a shift in how many surgical diseases are treated. Examining the effect on resident operative experience provides valuable insight into trends that may be useful for restructuring the requirements of resident training. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in general surgery resident operative experience regarding MIS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective review of the frequency of MIS relative to open operations among general surgery residents using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs for academic years 1993-1994 through 2011-2012. EXPOSURES: General surgery residency training among accredited programs in the United States. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We analyzed the difference in the mean number of MIS techniques and corresponding open procedures across training periods using 2-tailed t tests with statistical significance set at P