Importance of practical activities for later laparoscopic skills. A prospective study among medical students

<b>Introduction:</b> While learning laparoscopic procedures, the physician must face the difficulties specific to this method. They include two-dimensional vision, disturbed eye-hand coordination, and lack of touch sense control. In this study, we examined the impact of different types of training on the performance of laparoscopic procedures on box trainers. We took into account the individual manual skills of the participants.<b>Aim:</b> This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a self-built laparoscopic trainer and the influence of arcade smartphone games on improving laparoscopic psychomotor skills.<b>Material and methods:</b> Students with no experience in laparoscopy participated in the study. They took part in the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT). Then, they were divided randomly into three groups. The 1<sup>st</sup> group had a 3-hour laparoscopic training. The 2<sup>nd</sup> group was performing visual-manual tasks using a phone application. The 3<sup>rd</sup> group took part in the final test without prior preparation. The final test included transferring sponges using the laparoscopic trainer and cutting a latex glove.<b>Results:</b> There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in the results of the sponge-transferring test and the glove-cutting speed. There was no correlation between perforations during the cutting of latex gloves and the cutting length.<b>Conclusions:</b> The laparoscopic trainer – also self-built – is a valuable tool for laparoscopic training. The use of arcade smartphone games contributes to increased laparoscopic psychomotor skills.