TASSL Curricula - Advanced Open Knot-Tying and Suturing Skills Training Program

 

List of Tasks

  1. Knot-tying, no tension, 2-handed
  2. Knot-tying, no tension, 1-handed
  3. Knot-tying, no tension, 1-handed, non-dominant hand
  4. Knot-tying, under tension, 1-handed, slip knot
  5. Knot-tying, under tension, 1-handed, slip knot, non-dominant hand
  6. Knot-tying, under tension, 2-handed, surgeon's knot
  7. Knot-tying, under tension, 2-handed, slip knot
  8. Knot-tying, tie at depth
  9. Knot-tying, tie at depth, non-dominant hand

Proficiency and Scoring

The Advanced Open Skills Training Program is an extension of the basic and intermediate knot-tying and suturing curricula. In the Advanced Open Skills curriculum, the trainee gains experience with knot-tying while wearing gloves, working with finer suture (4-0 silk), and tying with the non-dominant hand. The curriculum follows the same proficiency-based training protocol as the basic and intermediate curricula in this series. The table below indicates the mastery criteria designated for each task.

Task Target Time (seconds) Errors
1 Knot-tying, no tension, 2-handed 11 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
2 Knot-tying, no tension, 1-handed 7 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
3 Knot-tying, no tension, 1-handed, non-dominant 13 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
4 Knot-tying, under tension, 1-handed, slip knot 10 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
5 Knot-tying, under tension, 1-handed, slip knot, non-dominant hand 23 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
6 Knot-tying, under tension, 2-handed, surgeon's knot 16 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
7 Knot-tying, under tension, 2-handed, slip knot 14 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage
8 Knot-tying, tie at depth 18 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage, non-palming, needle loading
9 Knot-tying, tie at depth, non-dominant hand 23 Knot accuracy, gap, slippage, breakage, non-palming, needle loading

 

Files

Protocol

  1. Trainee completes baseline testing. This consists of one trial of each of the 9 tasks. Scores are recorded on the worksheets provided in the link above.
  2. Trainee trains to proficiency on each of the 9 tasks. Scores are recorded on the worksheets provided in the link above.
  3. Trainee completes posttesting. This consists of one trial of each of the 9 tasks. Scores are recorded on the worksheets provided in the link above.