[Suture simulator - Cleft palate surgery]

Area of Science:

• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Device Development
• Cleft Palate Repair

Background:

• Cleft palate surgery requires specialized skills due to complex intraoral anatomy.
• Current training methods lack dedicated simulators for practicing intraoral sutures.
• Need for accessible, realistic training tools for surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an anatomically accurate, low-cost simulator for cleft palate intraoral suture practice.
• To provide a training tool for surgeons in teaching hospitals managing cleft palate.

Main Methods:

• Designed a simulator using precise anatomical data, incorporating a steel pipe for the oral cavity and a split spoon for the palate.
• The simulator components are removable for applying hydrocellular dressings to mimic surgical conditions.
• Evaluated the simulator's anatomical accuracy through testing by three senior surgeons under near real-life conditions.

Main Results:

• The developed simulator is anatomically accurate for practicing cleft palate sutures.
• The simulator is cost-effective and easy to construct.
• Surgeons validated its utility in near real-life surgical training scenarios.

Conclusions:

• A valuable, low-cost, and anatomically accurate simulator for cleft palate suture training is now available.
• This simulator can enhance surgical training in university hospitals managing cleft palate.
• It addresses the current gap in dedicated simulation materials for this specific surgical skill.