The use of a virtual surgical simulator for practicing otosurgery skills in the course of otorhinolaryngology

Abstract

Ear surgery is a very specific area in which the practical skills differ significantly from other branches of surgery. At present, there is no standard for training in otosurgery worldwide. The study provides data on the use of a virtual simulator with haptic feedback in teaching ear surgery and compares the objective results of working on the simulator in groups of residents, outpatient doctors, ENT doctors and professional otosurgeons-experts. The study found that such training increases the basic knowledge of students of the anatomy, their spatial understanding of the structures of the temporal bone and its topography, the methods and technologies of ear surgery, which is the most important result for residents and inpatient operating doctors. For polyclinic otorhinolaryngologists, such knowledge is extremely important for understanding the surgical interventions performed in patients transferred to them for supervision from surgical hospitals.