Comprehensive assessment of the quality and reliability of the ten most-viewed YouTube videos on thoracoscopic lobectomy in children: a comparison from the available videos on a peer-reviewed platform

Background Surgery residents often consider learning from the operative videos on YouTube, however, the quality of these videos is questionable. We aim to compare the quality and reliability of operative videos on thoracoscopic lobectomy (TL) in children available on YouTube (YT) and WebSurg (WS). Methods Using a defined search strategy, the most-viewed YT videos and all available WS videos on TL in children were identified. The quality and reliability of the two groups of videos were compared using the video popularity index (VPI), Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and LAP-VEGaS quality assessment tool. On the basis of the LAP-VEGaS score, the videos were divided into acceptable quality (score >= 11) or poor quality (score < 11). Results Ten most-viewed YT videos were compared with six relevant videos on WS. The median %VPI among the WS and YT videos were 83.3 (range 71.5-404.4) and 49.4 (range 0-270), respectively (p = 0.017). The median JAMA score of the WS videos was also significantly higher than the YT videos (p = 0.0003). In terms of the LAP-VEGaS scores, all WS videos versus only three YT had an acceptable quality. Conclusions As compared to the WS videos, the quality and reliability of the YT videos on TL were significantly poorer.