SILS Training and Fellowships

Senadhipan Institute of Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) is committed towards imparting Laparoscopic Surgery skills to practicing and upcoming surgeons to help more and more patients avail the benefits of safe laparoscopic surgery

The course focuses on balancing the concepts and hands-on practice so that the participants may see the growth in their skill level after the program

Details of our flagship programs are as below:

 

COURSE OUTLINES:

The courses are conducted by the direct leadership Prof Baiju Senadhipan,Senior HPB,GI and Bariatric Surgeon who is one of the pioneers of Laparoscopic Surgery in India.The department performs all kinds of advanced Lap Surgeries including Lap Whipples and Lap Hepatectomies for the last 20 years

1. SILS Training in Basic Laparoscopy:

This 5 day foundation course covers

Two days training in Endotrainer

• Exercises to empower hand eye coordination
• Exercises to enhance suturing skills

Three days live surgery

• Method for creating pneumo peritonium
• Orientation to OT equipment and technology involved in laparoscopic surgery
• Case observership with partial hands-on exposure: Chole, Appendix,Hernias 

 

2. SILS Training in Lap Suturing:

Focus is on hands-on practice. The highlights are:

• Suturing and knotting practice
• Lecture on ergonomics of suturing
• Dry lab and Wet lab simulation
• Opportunity for partial hands-on practice in cases

 

3. SILS Training in Advanced Laparoscopy:

• Pre operative work up and strategic planning
• Port placement logistics
• Intra operative trouble shooting
• Partial hands-on exposure
• Full hands-on depending upon the aptitude and skills
• Post operative care
• Lectures with recorded videos

Hands on training in
• Harmonic scalpel
• Ligasure
• Argon Plasma coagulator
• Waterjet liver dissector
• Endo Staplers
• Endosuturing

The candidate must have completed his/her Master degree in Surgery (MS/DNB) or OBG (MS/DGO) in INDIA
International Candidates (IMG) should produce their Passport and NOC from their previous employment/place of practice

 

4. SILS Fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopy:

• Observership in advanced GI and Gyn cases
• Partial hands-on exposure in the first 6 months
• Complete hands-on exposure in the last 6 months (depending on skill level of the trainee)

 

Other instructions:

SENADHIPAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP COURSE IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE HPB SURGERY at TOKYO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY,JAPAN

(The course is free for selected candidates.Candidates are requested to submit the google form)

1. All participants will be awarded certificate of participation on successful completion of the course
2. If the upcoming batches are full, the deserving candidates will be accommodated in a later batch
3. International Fellowship candidates are selected after scrutiny of their application once they complete the one year fellowship course

Other instructions:

1. Applications may be sent to senadhipan@gmail.com, a month in advance
2. All participants will be awarded certificate of participation on successful completion of the course
3. If the upcoming batches are full, the deserving candidates will be accommodated in a later batch
4. On successful admission to the relevant course, 100% payment must be sent in advance via NEFT

 

Feedback from past trainees:

Dr. Lal Darsan S
MBBS, MS,DNB, FMAS, M.Ch Urology

“The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”William Arthur Ward’s words are the perfect description of my beloved and inspiring teacher Dr Baiju Senadhipan.

The world is well aware of Dr Senadhipan the legend and his mastery in minimally invasive surgery. But, I would like to share my experience of Dr Senadhipan, the teacher.

I worked under him as a trainee surgeon for one year and as a Junior consultant in his department for another year. My advice to anyone who envisions practicinglaparoscopic surgery in his/her surgical career is to learn from the best.

Unlike open surgery, minimally invasive surgery is a field where everyone claims to be the top performer. It is important to ensure that the period dedicated towards laparoscopic training is spent under the guidance of a master surgeon. A beginner has a lot to learn, un-learn and re-learn in this training period!

For more than a decade Dr Senadhipan has been at the helm of one of the most advanced minimally invasive GI & Onco Surgery Unit in India levels of surgical excellence that are at par with international standards.

A laparoscopic procedure that is smooth and flawless is beautiful to watch but a mere dream for those who practice it in compromised settings. It involves highest levels of coordination between the surgeon, assistant surgeon, scrub nurse and the technical personnel. For anyone who wants to get trained in lap, this awareness is of foremost importance. Being a part of a highly trained and coordinated surgical team will allow you to observe and imbibe the technical and practical aspects involved in lap surgery besides the actual surgical steps.

There are so many things to learn, starting from patient position, table position, surgeon’s and assistant’s position, port placement, port insertion techniques, camera assistance, electro surgical settings, managing tubes and wires, troubleshooting the camera and cautery machines, angling camera, centralising the endovision to the field of interest, expectant and vigilant camera movement and assistance in crucial steps, safely handling tissues, methods of specimen retrieval, precise closure of ports and so on. These are best learnt in a lap unit that is perfectly coordinated. Dr Senadhipan has a team of experienced surgeons and OT staff and a well-oiled surgical suite that runs 24×7 without glitches. There is no better place to make mistakes, get reprimanded, train hard, challenge yourself and get better.

As far as the actual surgical skills are concerned, a lap surgeon must ascend the learning curve during his initial years and the best way to do this is to observe it live and perform it under the guidance of a legend. Dr Senadhipan’s proficiency at lap is world-renowned and I place him among the best in the world.

I have assisted him in a laparoscopic repair of a Gastro Duodenal artery which was torn away from the Hepatic artery, using 5-0 Prolene, midway during a laparoscopic Whipple surgery, and successfully completing it at a stage where anyone else would have converted it to an open procedure.

His confidence, endurance and never- give-up attitude has stunned the entire surgical team on more than one occasion. At this stage of his career too, he is never shy of improvising and refining his techniques and accepting suggestions from his juniors without display of any ego. These are rare qualities among surgeons of his stature and experience. Years of his self-improvisationand innovation has helped refinehis laparoscopic procedures to be the best and simplest possible demonstrable and reproducible versions, far ahead of the classical descriptions.

Working with him is not about laparoscopy alone! There are many other virtues a young surgeon can imbibe from him, like humility, sincerity, professionalism and adherence to ethical practice that he maintains despite running a highly demand-driven GI surgery Unit under Corporate roofs. He never endorses an unnecessary surgery for any patient. On a lighter note, his timely comebacks, his meaningful silences to stupid questions and eloquent explanations to intelligent doubts are moments I will miss.

It is an opportunity of a lifetime for any aspiring laparoscopy surgeon to train under Dr Senadhipan and I would recommend him to anyone who has the patience to observe, learn and practice the art and science of laparoscopic surgery.
 

Dr Vijay Anand
“My perception of laparoscopic surgery underwent a radical change after spending ayear with Dr Senadhipan. The training had a big impact on my confidence and my surgical career.

Thanks to sir for demonstrating the techniques which he learnt the hard way.It would have taken me a lifetime to grasp them if I weren’t with him.

I am grateful to Dr Senadhipan for accepting me as his student and would like to remain his student forever.”

 

Dr Fahad Aurif
“Greatly appreciate the pains Dr Senadhipan took to teach me the nuances of laparoscopy. I must admit that my experience with his sincere training has been the pinnacle of my surgical career and probably my entire life.

I had always wanted to learn laparoscopy and travelled all over India to gain exposure and expertise. Most centers were disappointing because they did not provide hands-on experience or share the real tricks and tips of the procedure.

The confidence that I gained from my interactions with Dr Senadhipan cannot be expressed in mere words.
The scars on the Dorsum of his gifted fingers speak volumes of the efforts he has put into the practice to arrive at this skill. But, Dr Senadhipan has no hesitation in sharing his hard-earned skills through years of practice with trainees like us.

Appropriate movements, which hand to use, which joint to move, which instrument to hold , which finger to use, where to look, etc are priceless tips. No one in this world would share such hard-earned tricks so easily with his students.

Quality of patient care is another great lesson I learnt from Dr Senadhipan.

Today, when I practice laparoscopy, I blindly replicate his steps because I know that they are time-tested, patient-friendly, time-saving and most importantly they follow all principles of patient safety.

I bow in his honour and respect!”

 

Dr Madhavan
“My 7 months of training with Dr Senadhipan made me more confident. Particularly in Lap colorectal surgery, bariatric surgery, hernia surgery etc. Besides being a master in advanced lap surgeries Dr Senadhipan is also a great teacher. His principles, techniques, patient care,etc provided me with an excellent foundation for my future practice”

 

Dr G Sathiyavelavan:
“I did a one year fellowship with Dr Senadhipan. Getting accepted into the program was a dream come true because I had been waiting for this opportunity since the completion of my MCH and from the day I saw his Lap whipple and Lap coloplasty videos.

I was allowed to assist Dr Senadhipan from day one of my training and I started to learn a new point at almost every moment during the surgery.

Residents would say good surgeons never teach their tricks, but I believe the best surgeons are those who are happy to teach their tricks and Dr Senadhipan is definitely the best.

Be it patient positioning, port placement, a trick in suture placing, needle holding, lap suturing, I learnt so much, which would not have been possible at any other center.

The training is well-structured. I first learnt by assisting in a full range of procedures from lap hernia to lap whipples in addition to major laparotomy cases. There was no dearth for cases.

The best part of assisting Dr Senadhipan was that I learnt most tricks without realising it myself. I only recognized it when he allowed me to take on a case on my own. Operating under his guidance in the second phase of the fellowship was a huge confidence booster.

I was also encouraged to present at National and International conferences during my stay.
Before joining the department, I had a preconceived idea that laparoscopy was difficult and might take years to master. But Dr Senadhipan proved me wrong by teaching me that laparoscopy is an art which can be internalized in a much shorter time if we are dedicated and apply common sense.
As a teacher he was patient, correcting my mistakes, explaining to me the steps and planes of dissection of each and every case with enthusiasm and without irritation. I had the freedom to express my thoughts and was never treated as a junior resident.

Such one-to-one mentoring is not possible in any other centre in India or abroad. This is the kind of training which every young surgeon yearns for. If not for his guidance, I think I would continue to struggle with laparoscopy.

His willingness to compress his twenty years of experience to teach us in one year makes an extra-ordinary difference to any learner under him.

During my stay I also learnt colonoscopy, ERCP and upper gastro intestinal scopy procedures. I believe his is the only GI unit where one can learn all textbook procedures under one roof.

Another major aspect I learnt from Dr Senadhipan is patient care.

After observing Dr Senadhipan in the OPD, I learnt that there is no shortcut to success. With every patient he would take down the patient’s detailed history, record all complaints and do a thorough clinical examination (head to toe) without skipping any step.

Similarly, in the OT, he never skipped a step or hurried to complete a case.
I still remember his words – A surgeon should know his limitations and be ethical.
Another important thing I try to abide by is his eagerness to learn, accept ideas from juniors and audit his own work regularly to correct and improve himself.

May be that’s the key reason behind his great success.

We residents envied his stamina. Dr Senadhipan would work all day, operate on six to eight cases and return next day fresh and recharged.

Once again I thank him for accepting me into the fellowship program. I feel one year is a very short period. Given another chance I would be happy to work in his unit again.”