The ESSQS has contributed to the standardization of surgical education and practice in Japan, particularly in TAPP hernia repair, and this framework-rarely seen in Western qualification systems-underscores the importance of structured evaluation in advancing both technical proficiency and educational quality. This study was approved by our Institutional Review Board (Approval No. 4763) and the Medical Ethics Committee of Kurashiki Central Hospital.
Eguchi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.