Development and Evaluation of a Simulator for Surgical Training in Tracheostomy and Advanced Open Airway Surgery

The challenges of resident work-hour restrictions, low case volumes and growing concerns over patient safety limit learning opportunities for surgical trainees in the operating room. Surgical simulation can provide trainees with valuable opportunities to develop technical skills without risk to patient safety. Current synthetic airway simulators lack realistic tissue characteristics and anatomical accuracy. The objective of this thesis was to develop and validate a realistic airway simulator for training in tracheostomy and laryngotracheoplasty using anterior costal cartilage and thyroid ala cartilage grafts. A late adolescent/adult airway simulator was developed using image segmentation techniques, three-dimensional modeling/printing, and silicone casting. Nine expert otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons evaluated the synthetic simulator as realistic/anatomically accurate (face validity), comparable to a live porcine model (gold standard in open airway simulation) and having perceived effectiveness as a training tool (content validity). The synthetic airway simulator has the potential to enhance tracheostomy and open airway surgical education.M.H.Sc.2021-07-28 00:00:0