Effects of anatomical variation on trainee performance in a virtual reality temporal bone surgery simulator

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the importance of anatomical variation in acquiring skills in virtual reality cochlear implant surgery. Methods: Eleven otolaryngology residents participated in this study. They were randomly allocated to practice cochlear implant surgery on the same specimen or on different specimens for four weeks. They were then tested on two new specimens, one standard and one challenging. Videos of their performance were de-identified and reviewed independently, by two blinded consultant otolaryngologists, using a validated assessment scale. The scores were compared between groups. Results: On the standard specimen, the round window preparation score was 2.7 ± 0.4 for the exper..