Purpose: The objective was to determine the acceptability and preliminary construct validity for a high-fidelity synthetic renal pelvis/ureter tissue analogue model for use as a simulation model for training of laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Materials and Methods: The pyeloplasty model was designed with incorporated assessment lines for use in post-task Black Light Assessment of Surgical Technique (BLAST)?. Practicing urologists participating in the 2011 and 2012 American Urological Association Mentored Renal Laparoscopy courses performed a simulated laparoscopic pyeloplasty procedure and completed a post-task evaluation of the model. Results: Practicing urologists found the model acceptable and rated the model favorably in terms of content and face validity. Urologists who had performed a laparoscopic pyeloplasty procedure in the last 5 years outperformed those who had not by demonstrating increased patency (P<0.05), decreased twisting (P<0.05), and decreased leakage (P<0.10) at the anastomosis. Conclusions: The BLAST? pyeloplasty model demonstrated evidence of acceptability and content, face, and construct validity for training practicing urologists to perform laparoscopic pyeloplasty.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140376/1/end.2013.0678.pd
