Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS)*

FLS is a program for teaching the technical skills required in basic laparoscopic surgery. The Program is supported and developed by SAGES in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Education.

An important part of the FLS Program is an Assessment Component: a two-part, proctored exam that covers cognitive knowledge and manual skills.

ProMIS is unique in offering objective measurement of surgical performance using real instruments on real tasks. Click here for more on ProMIS Metrics >>> and for a specific SAGES paper on measuring the Precision-Cutting Task in ProMIS >>>

Validity of ProMIS in measuring performance on FLS Tasks

ProMIS metrics are “excellent predictors of scores in the standard FLS simulator” and “predict readiness for FLS Certification”. 1  23 >>>

ProMIS metrics are valid on peg transfer, pre-tied loop placement and knot-tying tasks4 >>>

“Initial trials of the metrics on the FLS Precision-Cutting Task show that ProMIS is as accurate as the current method”5 >>>

Read the full abstracts here >>>

FLS in ProMIS

Following recent validation studies, ProMIS now provides an FLS Module: users simply insert FLS Tasks in ProMIS and get the standard ProMIS metrics and video recording on those Tasks.

This opens up opportunities to:

Increase confidence of those about to do the FLS Assessment

Build a database of objective data in relation to FLS performance

Network simulators for recording users' practice and performance on FLS

Ultimately, supplement proctor testing with automated ProMIS metrics

* The SAGES/ACS FLS Program does not endorse this product or company. This product has not been shown to be equivalent to FLS training. In order to earn the FLS certificate, one must pass the entire FLS exam, including the assessment component administered exclusively on the FLS manual skills trainer box and administered by an approved FLS proctor.