An affordable model for endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery: Chicken wings and foam pipe insulation tube

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Surgical models and phantoms are widely used in medical training, especially in ultrasound-guided interventions or surgical training such as laparoscopic skills. Time spent using phantoms leads to improvements in confidence and success rate. There are numerous articles describing different models or simulators for learning and improvement of ear, nose, and throat surgical skills. These include models for endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery, myringotomy and insertion of tympanostomy tubes, ear surgery simulators, and even a trainer for ligating the lower tonsillar pole. Several models for laryngeal microsurgery have been presented. These include laryngeal dissection stations using cadaveric larynges, animal larynges, or synthetic larynges. A summary of models designed for endolaryngeal microsurgical training is presented in Table I. In this article we present an inexpensive, easy-touse, and feasible laryngeal model based on chicken wings and polyethylene foam-pipe insulation tube.