Integration of surgical simulation in plastic surgery residency training

BioDigital Systems, LLC in collaboration with New York University Langone Medical Center Department of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery has created an interactive, step-based latissimus musculocutaneous flap simulator. Preliminary testing of fourteen residents (PGY1-6) demonstrates that simulator training results in significant improvement in an objective assessment of surgical knowledge (p < 0.0006, pre-training score: 81.0%, post-training score 92.7%). This study is the first in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery to demonstrate objective improvement in surgical knowledge as a result of simulator training, suggesting the potential effectiveness of simulators for a panopoly of breast reconstruction options.