Tactile Skill-Based Neurosurgical Simulators Are Effective and Inexpensive

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Residency work hour regulations limit hands-on surgical training.
• Computer simulators are expensive and lack realistic tactile feedback.
• Novel, low-cost simulators were developed for minimally invasive lumbar decompression and Chiari decompression surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of novel, low-cost simulators in enhancing surgical skills.
• To assess improvements in resident and medical student performance in specific neurosurgical procedures.

Main Methods:

• Participants (residents and medical students) completed 10 simulation sessions.
• Lumbar decompression simulator efficacy was measured by time blocking the field of view and drill control loss.
• Chiari decompression simulator efficacy was measured by completion time and suture regularity.

Main Results:

• Lumbar decompression simulator use reduced field obstruction by 52% and drill control loss by 69%.
• Chiari decompression simulator use decreased suturing time by 56% and improved suture regularity.
• Significant improvements were observed in both speed and quality of surgical tasks.

Conclusions:

• Simple, inexpensive surgical simulators effectively enhance resident and medical student surgical skills.
• These simulators improve the speed, quality, and comfort of performing key neurosurgical procedures.
• The developed simulators offer a replicable and cost-effective training solution.