Is it time to incorporate hands-on simulation into the cardiothoracic surgery curriculum?

Abstract

The COVID pandemic has had huge implications for training in cardiothoracic surgery. The reduction in training opportunities has led to concerns from trainees globally regarding the impact on their learning and their training progression. Surgical simulation is effective in the development of technical skills in cardiothoracic surgery with numerous examples of low and high-fidelity simulators. Despite this the incorporation of such methods into training curricula worldwide is seldom. Core fundamentals are required to successfully implement surgical simulation into training programmes, which includes; commitment from trainers, regular sessions and structured feedback. Few programmes have demonstrated the successful incorporation of surgical simulation and there is a growing acceptance of its place in the speciality. As we recover from this challenging period it may be the right opportunity to evolve how we train our current and future trainees by incorporating hands-on simulation as a fundamental part of the cardiothoracic curriculum.

Online Survey Evaluation of Three Years of European Society of Thoracic Surgeons Educational Webinars as Part of The E‐learning Platform

“…Since the launch of the ESTS educational platform 15 years ago, thoracic surgical education has changed dramatically [9]. E-learning, apart from simulation, has become an important part of the training during the last years, especially enhanced by the current COVID-19 pandemic [10][11][12]. The introduction of the educational webinar series in 2018 was a key step in adapting to new tools of e-learning and has been evaluated after 3 seasons.…”

Congenital Heart Surgery Skill Training Using Simulation Models: Not an Option but a Necessity

“… 11 12 In addition, unexpected societal or worldwide incidents such as the long-lasting pandemic and wars may further compromise the already precarious training opportunities. 16 17 18 Due to all these limitations, it is expected that there will be a shortage of eligible cardiothoracic surgeons in the near future. 10 Certainly, the advance in surgical techniques and outcomes in CHS has not been accompanied by the simultaneous improvement of the quality and efficiency of CHS training.…”