Live surgical assessment of laparoscopic competence among senior surgical residents: a comparative observational study of simulation versus traditional training for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The importance of simulation-based training in minimally invasive surgical education has become increasingly important. However, in low-resource settings, reliable intraoperative assessment contrasting simulation-based and conventional laparoscopic training is still limited. This prospective comparative observational study was conducted at tertiary care centre, including 32 senior surgical residents doing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Residents were classified into traditional training (n = 17) and simulation-trained groups (n = 15). Using the Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) score, operative performance was assessed intraoperatively by two blinded consultants. Residents with prior simulation training demonstrated significantly higher total GOALS scores as compared to traditionally trained residents (18.20 ± 1.15 vs. 11.71 ± 1.21; p < 0.001). Significant improvement across all GOALS domains was observed, with shorter operative time in the simulation group (p < 0.001). Most simulation-trained residents reported to have high competence levels. Prior simulation exposure was associated with higher laparoscopic competence, improved technical performance, and shorter operative time, which may support its integration into modern minimally invasive surgical curriculum.