The NEUROSAVE study – impact of cadaveric neurosurgical workshops on general and paediatric surgeons’ confidence in performing life-saving neurosurgical procedures: a preliminary survey study

In many European settings, general and pediatric surgeons may be the first and sometimes the only physicians available to perform life‑saving neurosurgical procedures in emergency situations. However, especially in Poland, contact with cranial trauma surgery during training is limited. We evaluated whether a cadaveric, neurosurgeon‑led workshop (NEUROSAVE) improves participants’ confidence in essential procedures. We conducted a prospective survey study during a cadaveric neurosurgical workshop (n = 15). Participants assessed their level of confidence (on a Likert scale from 1 to 5) in relation to individual stages of the procedures performed (e.g. burr holes, craniotomies, decompressive craniectomy) and emergency operations (e.g. evacuation of epidural, acute and chronic subdural, and intraparenchymal haematomas) immediately before and after the course; a subset provided last follow‑up ratings. Data are presented as medians (IQR); paired Wilcoxon tests assessed pre‑post and baseline‑follow‑up differences. Median confidence increased significantly immediately after the course across core skills, including Mayfield fixation (1.00→2.00; p = 0.01), burr‑hole drilling (2.00→3.00; p = 0.01), frontal craniotomy (1.00→2.00; p = 0.02), temporal craniotomy (2.00→3.00; p = 0.03), decompressive craniectomy (1.00→2.00; p = 0.01), duroplasty (2.00→3.00; p = 0.01), dural sealing (1.00→2.00; p = 0.02), bone‑flap restoration (2.00→3.00; p < 0.01) and evacuations of EDH (1.00→2.00; p = 0.01), acute SDH (1.00→2.00; p = 0.02) and ICH (1.00→2.00; p = 0.01). Chronic SDH showed a non‑significant trend (p = 0.09). At the last follow‑up (n = 7), point estimates suggested retention in selected domains, albeit with small sample size and variable exposure to practice. Short neurosurgical workshops on cadavers significantly improve the self-confidence of general and pediatric surgeons in performing life‑saving cranial trauma procedures. Such interdisciplinary, simulation‑based programmes could address urgent training gaps in systems where neurosurgical expertise may be unavailable on‑site, particularly in regional hospitals in Poland. Further multicenter studies with objective outcome assessment are needed. The present analysis was based on the first educational cycle of the NeuroTrauma Days, a new interdisciplinary simulation program established in Lublin in 2025. This inaugural edition served as a pilot evaluation of its educational impact and feasibility among general and pediatric surgeons. Given the encouraging preliminary outcomes, we plan to continue and expand the NeuroTrauma Days series, integrating additional modules (e.g. spine and peripheral nerve trauma) and implementing longitudinal assessments combining self-confidence metrics with objective performance evaluation (e.g. OSATS-based scoring and case-log audits). Such follow-up studies will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of skill retention, translation to clinical practice, and the broader role of cadaveric simulation in surgical education across disciplines.