An integrated simulator for endolaryngeal surgery.

Overview

The acquisition and maintenance of skills in transoral microlaryngeal surgery requires extended practice. Effective mentoring of such single-operator procedures is not possible, making it important for trainee surgeons to acquire basic skills outside of the operating room before participating in procedures on patients. Currently available training simulators use either synthetic materials or human tissue, both of which have limitations. We have designed a hybrid simulator that incorporates a porcine larynx in to an airway training manikin, providing both accurate airway anatomy and natural tissue handling characteristics. This model allows training in the skills required for suspension laryngoscopy and the resection of laryngeal lesions. Further applications could include development of surgical techniques and instruments, and use in accreditation of training and revalidation of trained surgeons.