Development and evaluation of a surgical 3D simulation model on submental flap surgery training

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Education Technology

Background:

• Traditional training for oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residents relies on established didactic methods.
• There is a need for innovative tools to enhance surgical skill acquisition and knowledge retention in OMFS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a 3D simulation model for submental flap surgery.
• To assess the efficacy of this 3D model in improving OMFS resident training.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study involving 20 OMFS residents.
• Development of a 3D submental flap surgical phantom using Mimics V.21 and fused deposition modeling.
• Random assignment to an experimental group (3D phantom training) or a control group (traditional lecture).
• Pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessment via testing.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant improvement in test scores post-training (p < 0.001).
• The experimental group, utilizing the 3D phantom, achieved significantly higher post-intervention scores (6.9 ± 0.87) compared to the control group (4.9 ± 0.99) (p < 0.001).
• The 3D simulation model demonstrated superior effectiveness in enhancing surgical knowledge.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D submental flap phantom model significantly improved OMFS residents' test scores.
• This 3D model holds potential for integration into conventional OMFS resident training curricula.
• Simulation-based training offers a valuable adjunct to traditional surgical education.