A newly designed 3-dimensional printer-based gastric hemostasis simulator with two modules for endoscopic trainees (with video)

Abstract

Background/Aims: We used 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology to create a new hemostasis simulator for the stomach and investigated its efficacy and realism in endoscopic hemostasis training. Methods: A new stomach hemostasis simulator, with two hemostasis modules for hemoclipping and injection, was constructed using a 3D printer. Twenty-one endoscopists, including 11 first-year fellows (beginner group) and 10 faculty members (expert group), tested the performance of the simulator. We recorded and reviewed five training sessions and evaluated the simulator with questionnaires using a 7-point Likert scale. Results: The mean evaluation score of the expert group was 6.3±0.5 for the hemoclipping module and 6.0±0.6 for the injection module. The expert group strongly agreed that endoscopic handling in the simulator was realistic and reasonable for hemostasis training. The mean procedure time for hemoclipping was 72.7±7.1 seconds for the beginner group and 19.7±1.2 seconds for the expert group. The mean procedure time for injection was 92.1±9.8 seconds for the beginner group and 36.3±2 seconds for the expert group. The procedure time of beginner group became shorter with repetition and was significantly lower by the fifth trial. Conclusions: A new 3D-print-ed hemostasis simulator is capable of hemostasis training and can very effectively train beginners before they perform the procedure in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding.