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Enhancing Neurosurgical Training: A Comparative Study of Hybrid, Simulator-Based, and Body Donor-Based Dissection
Pietro Zangrossi1, Augusto Leone2, Francesco Carbone3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Sant'Anna University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
World Neurosurgery
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Hybrid neurosurgical training, combining simulation and body donor dissection, significantly improves anatomical knowledge and technical skills. This approach enhances learning more effectively than using simulation or body donors alone.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery Education
- Surgical Simulation
- Anatomical Training
Background:
- Neurosurgical training requires balancing realism, accessibility, and safety.
- Body-donor dissection is the gold standard but faces limitations in cost and availability.
- High-fidelity simulators offer structured practice but may lack anatomical accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid neurosurgical training compared to simulator-only or body donor-only methods.
- To determine if hybrid training improves anatomical knowledge and technical skills.
- To assess the primary outcome of anatomical structure identification during body-donor dissection.
Main Methods:
- 66 participants (residents, junior neurosurgeons, medical students) were divided into simulator-only (SIM), body donor-only (BD), and hybrid (HYB) groups.
- All groups received a standardized lecture and practical sessions for pterional and retrosigmoid approaches.
- Post-course assessments included self-reported proficiency and objective anatomical identification, adjusted for experience.
Main Results:
- The hybrid group demonstrated superior anatomical identification compared to the body donor group (e.g., 27 vs 21 total structures identified, p=0.03).
- Effect sizes for the hybrid group's advantage were large to very large (Cohen's d: 0.77-0.96).
- Prior simulation training improved recognition of critical neuroanatomical structures.
Conclusions:
- Hybrid neurosurgical training effectively enhances both anatomical learning and technical skill development.
- Simulation acts as a beneficial preparatory tool, boosting performance in subsequent body-donor dissection training.
- This integrated approach offers improved educational value for neurosurgical trainees.
