Efficacy evaluation of a high-precision simulator of posterior pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty

Abstract

BackgroundIn order to improve medical students' preclinical skills and enable them to quickly comprehend the procedure of posterior pharyngeal flap surgery, our teaching team developed a surgical simulator specifically for pharyngeal flap surgery. MethodsThirteen undergraduate students and eight first-year residents trained from March to May 2023, participated in simulated surgical training. Initially, multimedia was used to explain and demonstrate relevant anatomy, surgical principles, and procedural steps to them. This was followed by independent simulated surgeries by the students, culminating in the completion of a questionnaire. Independent samples t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Before the simulated surgery, the residents had a greater understanding of the surgical design compared to the undergraduate students. After the simulated surgery, the residents showed not only significantly higher levels of understanding of the surgical design, but also increased familiarity with the surgical process, and enhanced confidence in independent surgery compared to the undergraduate students. Both groups showed a notable increase in familiarity with the surgical process and confidence in independent surgery after the simulated surgery. ConclusionThe surgical simulator demonstrates high clinical fidelity and provides tactile feedback that closely resembles reality. It significantly enhances the understanding and mastery of surgical techniques for young doctors, ultimately improving their surgical skills.