The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Emergency Surgery Course: Initial experience in Japan

BACKGROUND: Acute care surgery has recently been recognized as a field of surgery in Japan, but no well-organized nontrauma emergency surgery education system exists. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Emergency Surgery Course (AAST-ESTES ESC) course gives surgeons the knowledge and skills to make daily decisions about nontrauma emergency surgery. We held an AAST-ESTES ESC course in Japan from October 2 to 3, 2022. METHODS: Thirty-two Japanese participants were asked to rate the following items using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 to 5: overall assessment, program subjects, content, instructional style, and activity. In addition, we also inquired about topics that participants intended to change as a result of what they had learned in the course. RESULTS: All items were rated highly (4.1-4.7) by the participants. Participants reported intending to implement changes concerning mesenteric ischemia, colorectal crises, and acute pancreatitis after taking the course. CONCLUSION: Japanese surgeons gave the AAST-ESTES ESC course excellent ratings, suggesting its crucial role in Japan, where there has been no development of nontrauma emergency surgery education courses. (Copyright (c) 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)