The role of 3D technology in the practical education of congenital coarctation and its treatment—a feasibility pilot study

Abstract

Background: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a congenital disease with an incidence of 4 out of 10,000 live births, therefore proper education of its treatment is essential. Understanding the disease and the wide array of treatment options is often difficult. Additive manufacturing technology can be used to produce 3D printed hands-on surgical training tools (HOSTT), which can be used for the education and practical training of CoA. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a 3D printable HOSTT for the simulation of coarctation surgery, and it’ possible role in practical education. Methods: Participants were medical students of Semmelweis University between the second and sixth academic year. A virtual 3D model of an aorta with CoA was generated from a computed tomography angiography scan. Each participant received a 3D-printed aorta phantom and performed either one of four surgical treatment modalities. The simulated surgeries included end-to-end anastomosis, end-to-side anastomosis, prosthetic patch, and subclavian flap aortoplasty. Participants provided feedback, evaluating their understanding of the disease and its treatment by the four surgical reconstruction modalities on a seven-point Likert scale before and after the sessions. Results: 21 medical students participated in this study. Participants’ average rating of their understanding of CoA disease and it treatment options before practical training was 4.62 ± 1.07. After training, their average rating increased to 6.19 ± 1.08, showing statistically significant difference. Conclusions: Within this study’s limitations, the applied HOSTT, manufactured using 3D printing, was effective for the practical training of CoA’s surgical treatment methods for medical students.