Global Health Microsurgery Training With Cell Phones.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Surgical Education
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Lack of surgical care contributes significantly to global disability and death, representing 30% of the global disease burden.
• Global surgical and anesthesia care initiatives focus on achieving equitable clinical care through various strategies, including education and advocacy.
• Stanford University's plastic surgery faculty collaborated with ReSurge International to deliver reconstructive microsurgery training in low- and middle-income countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate low-cost alternatives for teaching and practicing microsurgery suturing.
• To overcome resource limitations in global surgical training programs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a cell phone camera with zoom functionality as a magnification tool for microsurgery practice.
• A cell phone was mounted on a stand over a microsurgery station, mimicking the magnification provided by surgical loupes or microscopes.
• Nine attending surgeons and seven residents practiced microsurgery suturing using the cell phone camera setup, with progress tracked using the Stanford Microsurgery and Resident Training Scale.

Main Results:

• Participants practiced microsurgery suturing under the magnification of a cell phone camera.
• The Stanford Microsurgery and Resident Training Scale was employed to monitor skill development.
• A feedback survey assessed the participants' perception of the cell phone setup's utility for microsurgery suture practice.

Conclusions:

• Global surgical training is hampered by limited resources, making low-cost alternatives essential.
• Cell phone cameras with zoom capabilities offer a viable and affordable substitute for expensive surgical loupes and operating microscopes in microsurgical education.
• This approach provides a practical solution for enhancing microsurgery training in resource-constrained environments.