Impact of a Virtual Three-Dimensional Thyroid Model on Patient Communication in Thyroid Surgery: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Visualization
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Effective preoperative counseling is crucial for shared decision-making in thyroid surgery.
• Conventional methods like drawings may not fully convey complex thyroid anatomy and surgical approaches.
• Virtual 3D models offer an intuitive tool to improve patient comprehension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual 3D thyroid models in enhancing patient understanding of thyroid anatomy and surgical procedures.
• To compare patient comprehension between a virtual 3D model group and a traditional drawing-based counseling group.
• To assess the impact of 3D models on understanding potential postoperative complications.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 94 thyroid cancer patients undergoing thyroidectomy.
• Intervention group used the Thyroid Navigator app (virtual 3D model) for counseling.
• Control group received standard drawing-based preoperative counseling.
• Patient understanding of anatomy and complications was assessed via surveys.

Main Results:

• The 3D model group showed significantly higher accuracy in identifying the recurrent laryngeal nerve and lymph node dissection extent.
• Comprehension of major postoperative complications (hoarseness, hypocalcemia, bleeding) was significantly improved in the 3D model group.
• No significant difference was found in lesion localization or parathyroid gland recognition between groups.

Conclusions:

• Virtual 3D thyroid models significantly enhance patient comprehension of thyroid anatomy, surgical details, and potential complications.
• These models improve clinician-patient communication and support shared decision-making in thyroid surgery.
• Virtual 3D models are a practical, cost-effective adjunct to conventional patient counseling.