Evaluation eines ex vivo Modells zum Erlernen chirurgischer Fertigkeiten bei beidseitigen Lippenspalten

Background and goals In maxillofacial surgery cleft lip and palate surgery is one of the most difficult surgeries to undertake for the operation site is very small and the aesthetic demand very high. Therefore, it is very important to train beginners well beforehand. Already existing high-fidelity simulation models are expensive and difficult to receive which is why a new, low-cost model composed of porcine snout discs was introduced at our clinic. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether this model is effective in teaching the lip surgery. Methods The participants (n=13) were taught the steps of bilateral cleft lip surgery according to Millard via presentation on a screen followed by a presentation of the same surgery on the porcine snout disc in September 2022. To depict the cleft lip situation on the snout disc foil templates were used. Afterwards, the participants were asked for self-assessment. During the surgery on the porcine snout discs the participants were observed and evaluated in terms of implementation, handling of instruments, performance, and final results using a modified Competency Assessment Tool (CAT). Additionally, the results of this test were compared to the results of the questionnaire of the participants who evaluated this model in the publication “An ex vivo model for education and training of bilateral cleft lip surgery” (Lutz et al.). Results The participants showed a mean or better performance at all tested areas. There was no difference in performance depending on their education level except at handling the instruments and tissue. The participants themselves evaluated the model as valuable. Conclusion and discussion The porcine snout disc model for teaching cleft lip surgery can be considered effective and realistic. The participants’ number of this study was rather small due to the need of testing of the porcine snout model before implying it on a larger scale. Therefore, this study needs to be considered as trendsetting for the effectiveness of the model and a second trial on a much larger scale should be undertaken.