A do-it-yourself 3D-printed thoracic spine model for anesthesia resident simulation.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Medical Simulation
• 3D Printing Technology

Background:

• Thoracic epidural placement is a crucial anesthetic procedure.
• Existing training programs lack adequate simulation models for thoracic epidurals.
• Current simulation methods for central line placement, cricothyroidotomy, and lumbar epidurals are common, but thoracic epidurals are not.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) 3D-printed thoracic spine model.
• To evaluate the fidelity and utility of this novel simulator as a training tool for anesthesia residents and attendings.
• To make the design files and assembly manual publicly available to promote open-source medical education.

Main Methods:

• A low-cost, DIY 3D-printed thoracic spine model was designed and fabricated.
• Ten expert anesthesiology attendings and fifteen novice anesthesiology residents utilized the model for practice.
• Participants completed a Likert scale survey to assess the model's fidelity and usefulness.

Main Results:

• Both expert and novice anesthesiology trainees reported positive attitudes towards the thoracic spine model.
• The survey results indicated high perceived fidelity and usefulness of the simulator.
• The model was found to be an effective teaching tool for thoracic epidural placement.

Conclusions:

• The developed DIY 3D-printed thoracic spine model is a cost-effective and valuable educational resource.
• This open-source simulator can enhance anesthesia training programs for thoracic epidural procedures.
• Widespread adoption of this model can improve procedural training and patient safety in anesthesiology.