Tissue engineering technology and its possible applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Tissue engineering is a rapidly advancing discipline that combines the attributes of biochemical and biomaterial engineering with cell transplantation to create bio-artificial tissues and organs. For the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the reconstruction of maxillofacial defects in hard and soft tissues is an ongoing challenge. While autologous grafts and vascularised free flaps are the current gold standard, they are not without complications at both the donor and reconstructed sites.

Construction of an evidence-based, graduated training curriculum for D-box, a webcam-based laparoscopic basic skills trainer box.

Background: Surgical training programs are now including simulators as training tools for teaching laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to develop a standardized, graduated, and evidence-based curriculum for the newly developed D-box (D-box Medical, Lier, Norway) for training basic laparoscopic skills.

Methods: Eighteen interns with no laparoscopic experience completed a training program on the D-box consisting of 8 sessions of 5 tasks with assessment on a sixth task.

Recent advances in reconstructive oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Reconstruction within the head and neck is challenging. Defects can be anatomically complex and may already be compromised by scarring, inflammation, and infection. Tissue grafts and vascularised flaps (either pedicled or free) bring healthy tissue to a compromised wound for optimal healing and are the current gold standard for the repair of such defects, but disadvantages are their limited availability, the difficulty of shaping the flap to fit the defect and, most importantly, donor site morbidity.

A tale of two trainers: virtual reality versus a video trainer for acquisition of basic laparoscopic skills.

Background: This study aimed to assess the transferability of basic laparoscopic skills between a virtual reality simulator (MIST-VR) and a video trainer box (D-Box).

Methods: Forty-six medical students were randomized into 2 groups, training on MIST-VR or D-Box. After training with one modality, a crossover assessment on the other was performed.

Development of a training curriculum for microsurgery.

Recent changes in healthcare necessitate revision of the current apprenticeship model of surgical training. Current methods of assessment such as examinations and logbooks are not criteria-based, so are subjective and lack validity and reliability. The objective feedback of technical skills is crucial to the structured learning of surgical skills.

Short-phase training on a virtual reality simulator improves technical performance in tele-robotic surgery.

Background: The da Vinci tele-robot necessitates the acquisition of new skills and surgical educators must develop standardized training programmes. It is possible that virtual reality (VR) computer simulation maybe used and it is necessary to define whether a simulator is an appropriate tool.

Methods: Ten surgical novices performed a series of five tasks, ten times on a commercially available VR robotic simulator.

Proving the effectiveness of virtual reality simulation for training in laparoscopic surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare learning curves for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) after training on a proficiency based virtual reality (VR) curriculum with that of a traditionally trained group.

Summary Background Data: Simulator-based training has been shown to improve technical performance during real laparoscopic procedures, although research to date has not proven the persistence of this effect over subsequent cases.

Material And Methods: Twenty novice surgeons underwent baseline laparoscopic skills testing followed by a 1-day didactic training session.

Training opportunities and the role of virtual reality simulation in acquisition of basic laparoscopic skills.

Background: Within the past decade, there has been increasing interest in simulation-based devices for training and assessment of technical skills, especially for minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of senior and junior surgeons to virtual reality simulation within the context of current training opportunities for basic laparoscopic procedures.

Methods: A postal questionnaire was sent to 245 consultants and their corresponding specialist registrar (SpR), detailing laparoscopic surgical practice and their knowledge and use of virtual reality (VR) surgical simulators.