Assessment of Microsurgery Simulation Course Access in Plastic Surgery Training Programs.

Area of Science:

• Microsurgery training
• Plastic surgery education
• Surgical skills development

Background:

• Microsurgery demands advanced skills, presenting a significant learning curve for plastic surgery trainees.
• Flap dissection courses and simulation exercises are crucial for developing these essential microsurgical competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accessibility of microsurgical courses for plastic surgery trainees.
• To gauge program directors' interest in and perceived value of microsurgical training for residents and fellows.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to plastic surgery residency and microsurgery fellowship program directors.
• Data collected included program demographics and trainee participation in microsurgical skills or flap dissection courses.
• Program directors' opinions on the benefits of instructional courses for trainees were assessed.

Main Results:

• 44% of residency program directors responded, with 54.5% sending residents to flap courses and 59.1% to microsurgical skills courses.
• 95% of residency PDs believed flap courses were beneficial, and 83.3% felt microsurgical skills courses were valuable.
• For fellowship programs, 31.2% offered flap dissection courses and 50% offered microsurgical skills courses, with high perceived value by program directors.

Conclusions:

• Access to microsurgical skills and flap dissection courses is limited for approximately half of plastic surgery trainees.
• The majority of program directors recognize the significant value of these specialized training courses.
• Enhancing access to microsurgical training courses could substantially improve surgical education within plastic surgery programs.