Simulation for training in sinus floor elevation: new surgical bench model.
OBJECTIVE
to describe a bench model (workshop of abilities) for sinus floor elevation (SFE) training that simulates the surgical environment and to assess its effectiveness in terms of trainees' perception.


METHODS
thirty-six randomly selected postgraduate students entered this cross-sectional pilot study and asked to fill in an anonymous, self-applied, 12-item questionnaire about a SFE workshop that included a study guide containing the workshop' s details, supervised practice on a simulated surgical environment, and assessment by means of specific check-lists.


RESULTS
Thirtiy-six fresh sheep heads were prepared to allow access to the buccal vestible. Using the facial tuber, third premolar and a 3D-CT study as landmarks for trepanation, the sinus membrane was lifted, the space filled with ceramic material and closed with a resorbable membrane. The participants agreed on their ability to perform SFE in a simulated situation (median score= 4.5; range 2-5) and felt capable to teach the technique to other clinicians or to undertake the procedure for a patient under supervision of an expert surgeon (median= 4; range 1-5 ). There were no differences on their perceived ability to undertake the technique on a model or on a real patient under supervision of an expert surgeon (p=0.36).


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical abilities workshops for SFE teaching are an essential educational tool but supervised clinical practice should always precede autonomous SFE on real patients. Simulation procedures (workshop of abilities) are perceived by the partakers as useful for the surgical practice. However, more studies are needed to validate the procedure and to address cognitive and communication skills, that are clearly integral parts of surgical performance.
Stomatology Department, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. juanmanuel.seoane@usc.es
Juan
J
Seoane
Javier
J
López-Niño
Inmaculada
I
Tomás
Antonio
A
González-Mosquera
Juan
J
Seoane-Romero
Pablo
P
Varela-Centelles
D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012756:Sheep; D059546:Sinus Floor Augmentation