A Study on the Current Status of Laparoscopic Skills Among Young Physicians: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Background As a cornerstone of minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopy poses considerable operational challenges for surgeons. This study assessed the current laparoscopic skill level among young physicians in Southern Zhejiang (China) and identified influencing factors. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted, recruiting young physicians from 24 hospitals to participate in a three-module laparoscopic skills competition. Pre-competition questionnaires were collected for correlation analysis. Results Among the 102 participants included in the skills assessment, 75 completed valid questionnaires. The mean total scores were as follows: circular cutting, 89.2 ± 17.5 (Completion: 64.1 ± 10.1; Technical: 18.1 ± 7.3; Bonus: 5.6 ± 6.8; 43.1% received no bonus); soybean transfer, 54.6 ± 22.0 (Completion: 53.1 ± 20.1; Bonus: 0.1 ± 1.5; 99% received no bonus); and fixed-point suturing, 83.2 ± 20.0 (Completion: 60.0 ± 14.7; Technical: 18.4 ± 3.6; Bonus: 3.3 ± 5.3; 63.7% received no bonus). Regression analysis indicated that prior laparoscopic training was associated with better performance in fixed-point suturing (P = 0.04). Cumulative training exceeding 30 hours correlated with higher scores in soybean transfer (P = 0.05) and fixed-point suturing (P = 0.04). Frequent simulation training significantly improved outcomes across all modules (P = 0.03, 0.05, 0.04). Participants who self-rated as “able to proficiently complete tasks within the allotted time” achieved notably higher scores, particularly in soybean transfer and suturing (P < 0.01). No significant associations were observed between performance and demographic characteristics such as motivation, gender, education, professional title, or years of experience (P > 0.05). Conclusion Young physicians in Southern Zhejiang demonstrate general competency in laparoscopic skills but perform less effectively in time-sensitive, high-precision tasks. Future training should emphasize systematic simulation and competitive practice to comprehensively enhance proficiency.