Face and construct validity of a novel simulator for microsurgical education: Microsurgery Arena

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Microsurgery demands high levels of skill for proficiency.
• Simulation is crucial for acquiring and maintaining these specialized surgical skills.
• Low-fidelity simulators offer an accessible and cost-effective training solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the construct and face validity of the Microsurgery Arena, a novel low-fidelity simulator.
• To assess the simulator's effectiveness in improving hand-eye coordination, instrument handling, and knot-tying.
• To determine the simulator's potential as a standardized assessment and training tool.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one surgical trainees completed a 3-day introductory microsurgical skills course.
• Participants performed "slalom" and "tie-the-knot" exercises before and after the course.
• Performance was quantified by exercise completion time and evaluated by expert raters using the Stanford Microsurgery Residents Training Scale.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements were observed in all assessed microsurgical skills post-training.
• Participants reported highly positive feedback, deeming the simulator very useful for initial training.
• The simulator demonstrated construct validity by discriminating skill levels before and after training.

Conclusions:

• The Microsurgery Arena is a valid and effective low-fidelity simulator for microsurgical skill acquisition.
• It provides a standardized, low-cost, and accessible method for developing essential microsurgical techniques.
• This simulator holds potential as a valuable training and assessment tool for novices in microsurgery.