Current Status of Simulation in Thoracic Surgical Training.

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Education
• Thoracic Surgery

Background:

• Simulation is increasingly vital for surgical training but not widely mandatory.
• Rigorous validation is essential for simulators to be reliable training tools.
• This study reviews available thoracic surgical simulators and their validation evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify simulators for thoracic surgical training.
• To analyze the evidence supporting or validating these simulators.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE and Embase databases (1946-2022).
• Identification of simulators for basic skills and procedures in thoracic surgery.
• Extraction and analysis of data from relevant articles.

Main Results:

• 33 simulators were identified across 31 articles, focusing on basic skills and lobectomy.
• Hybrid modality simulators were most common (n=18).
• Only 48.5% had established validity evidence, with just one simulator fully validated.

Conclusions:

• Many thoracic surgery simulators exist, but validation evidence is often insufficient.
• Simulation models show potential for training basic and procedural skills.
• Further validity assessment is crucial before incorporating simulators into training curricula.