Simulation-Based Training Models for Cleft Palate Repair: A Systematic Review

Simulation-based training is a relatively new inclusion to surgical training curricula, with promises of achieving increased competency while maximizing patient safety. Cleft palate, which contributes significantly to the global burden of surgically treatable diseases, is a challenging repair to learn due to the high level of skill and dexterity required, delicate oral tissues, and limited space of an infant oral cavity. Simulation training can allow cleft palate education to move from an observational to a competency-based learning. Hence, this systematic review presents the models described in the literature that simulate cleft palate repair.

The systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. An electronic search of the MEDLINE and Cochrane databases was performed. Qualitative data were extracted, and the models were stratified based on their anatomical fidelity and realism, forming the basis of the curriculum.

The database search returned 3261 articles. Twelve articles were considered eligible for inclusion. The anatomical fidelity, human tissue likeness, evidence of improved outcomes, and cost are discussed.

Cleft palate is a globally significant birth defect and its repair is a difficult procedure to learn. This review presents the 12 models of cleft palate described in the literature, highlighting the advances and gaps in current cleft palate simulation.