The Vigo grommet trainer

Transtympanic grommet placement is perhaps the most common otologic outpatient procedure and is the junior resident's first step in otologic surgery. Drain placement requires a high level of skill and only after painstaking practice, will the young physician be prepared to perform the procedure.

We describe a home-made training model for grommet placement, consisting of a wooden base holding a syringe, with a sheet of latex simulating the tympanic membrane.

The model is cheap and easy to build. It allows ear tube (grommet) placement to be simulated in a practical and risk-free manner. The technique is reproducible, allowing the young physician to develop his or her skills without patient involvement.

Although a simulator cannot perfectly replicate surgery, the Vigo grommet trainer is an excellent tool to provide valuable practice in acquiring and developing the skills needed to perform drain placement in the operating theater.