History of surgical simulation and its application in Neurosurgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In this article, the authors address the historical evolution of surgical simulation, focusing on its application in Neurosurgery. METHODS: Literature search was done in the PubMed/Medline and Scopus databases, using the terms “history AND simulation”; and “simulation AND neurosurgery”. There was no limit for the publication date. RESULTS: We selected 30 articles whose contents included data of interest for the objective of the study. Simulation has been used for centuries in a variety of ways, including the dissection of corpses by the early physicians (such as Galeno) and military training (for example in war games). Anatomical models were created in the eighteenth century and continued to improve in the following centuries. Virtual reality simulation was first used in 1987 and became popular in the early 1990s. Subsequently, synthetic anatomical models were created that reproduce surgical scenarios close to the real one, with great applicability today. CONCLUSIONS: This literature review highlighted evolutionary aspects of simulation and its current application in medical education. Innovations in this field were highly appreciated by members of the neurosurgical community who recognized the vast potential of simulation to revolutionize this specialty, where intraoperative errors can have disastrous consequences. This historical review may contribute to a better understanding of the relevant role of simulation and for its implementation in the medical curriculum, especially in high complexity specialties such as Neurosurgery.