Past, present, and future of surgical simulation and perspective of a developing country: A narrative review

Healthcare systems around the globe have been revolutionised in the last few decades, resulting in a greater need and demand for surgical education outside the operation theatres. Surgical education through simulations started around 2,500 years ago when they were first used in the planning of unique and innovative surgeries while ensuring the safety of the subjects. Currently, simulations include animal models, cadaveric models, benchtop models and complex robotic models. In a programme involving surgical simulators, four requirements are followed to optimise their effectiveness, including mandatory involvement, skill-based instruction, standardised training plan, and overtraining. We can make a reasonable estimation that the future is technology-based. The speed with which we anticipate the fusion of these virtual reality and robotics-based simulation technology with medical educations and practices largely depends on the affordability and economics of these tools. The current narrative review was planned to highlight the historical aspects of simulations, their role in surgical education, and their importance in the future as an essential adjunct to surgical education.