Face Dissection as the Plastic Surgery Approach: Effective Method in Residency Training

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Surgical Education
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Global resident work-hour restrictions necessitate time-efficient training methods.
• Cadaver dissection offers the most realistic simulation for learning facial anatomy.
• Efficient cadaver utilization is crucial due to ethical and cost considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate an effective cadaver dissection method for facial anatomy training.
• To optimize resident learning within time-efficient parameters.
• To enhance surgical confidence and anatomical knowledge in residents.

Main Methods:

• A 51-year-old male cadaver was dissected over 6 weeks (4-8 hours/day).
• Standard surgical instruments and magnifying loupes were utilized.
• Dissection proceeded from medial to lateral, cephalic to caudal, and superficial to deep planes.
• Participant outcomes were assessed via a numerical scale survey.

Main Results:

• All 7 participants demonstrated increased knowledge and confidence in facial anatomy.
• Mean knowledge level improved from 3.00 to 4.03.
• Mean confidence level increased from 1.86 to 2.86.

Conclusions:

• The developed cadaver dissection program effectively optimizes anatomical learning.
• This method significantly improves residents' surgical confidence.
• The program supports a wide range of facial plastic surgery procedures.