Custom-Made Cleft Palate Models to Teach V-Y Pushback Palatoplasty

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation
• Craniofacial Surgery

Background:

• Cleft palate repair is a complex surgical procedure.
• Training for V-Y pushback palatoplasty requires realistic models for skill development.
• Current training models may not adequately simulate critical surgical steps like mucoperiosteal elevation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate custom-made cleft palate (CP) models for V-Y pushback palatoplasty training.
• To focus on teaching surgical design and mucoperiosteal flap elevation techniques.
• To assess the effectiveness of these models in improving participants' knowledge and confidence.

Main Methods:

• Creation of two custom CP models: a silicone model (M1) for flap design and a skull model with clay layers (M2) for flap elevation.
• M2 incorporated dental floss to simulate the greater palatine artery, emphasizing careful dissection.
• A workshop was conducted where six participants practiced flap design and elevation on the models, followed by a satisfaction survey using a Likert scale.

Main Results:

• Participants reported significant learning gains in CP design (4.0-4.2/5) and confidence (3.8-4.2/5).
• Knowledge acquisition for cleft mucoperiosteal flap elevation was high (4.5-4.7/5), with increased confidence (3.8-4.0/5).
• The models were rated as useful for training in V-Y pushback palatoplasty.

Conclusions:

• Custom-made cleft palate models are effective tools for surgical training in V-Y pushback palatoplasty.
• These models enhance understanding of flap design and critical mucoperiosteal elevation techniques.
• The developed models offer a valuable, hands-on approach to improve surgical skills in cleft palate repair.