Integrating tactile simulation into thoracic surgery education: a Miller's pyramid-Based study.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation

Background:

• Accurate intraoperative localization of pulmonary nodules is challenging in VATS, particularly for small or deep lesions.
• Existing localization methods can be complex and may require adjunctive technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a simulation-based training program using 3D-printed lung models on surgical trainees' spatial-tactile localization skills.
• To assess the effectiveness of tactile simulation in improving radiologic-anatomic mapping and intraoperative localization accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 67 surgical trainees randomized into a lung model group (LMG) or a control group (CG).
• Training curriculum included anatomical instruction, CT-to-anatomy mapping, simulated localization, and intraoperative localization, aligned with Miller's Pyramid.
• High-fidelity 3D-printed lung models were used for simulation-based tactile training in the LMG.

Main Results:

• The LMG demonstrated significantly higher scores in radiologic-anatomic mapping (p < 0.001) and simulated localization (p = 0.002) compared to the CG.
• While the LMG showed a higher localization success rate in clinical procedures (68.97% vs. 66.67%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.877).
• Trainees in the LMG reported higher confidence and satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based tactile training with anatomically realistic 3D lung models enhances thoracic surgery trainees' spatial-tactile localization skills.
• This training improves the integration of radiologic data with intraoperative spatial reasoning.
• Structured simulation modules can potentially improve operative readiness and decrease reliance on adjunctive localization technologies in VATS.