Future Applications: New 3D Training Model for Endoscopic Endonasal and Transorbital Approach

The advances of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in medicine led to an increased use of various 3D-printed surgical simulation models in education and surgical training in neurosurgery. Endoscopic skull base surgeries, such as the endoscopic endonasal (EEA) and transorbital (TOA) approaches, are characterized by unique ergonomics, equipment, and surgical applications. 3D-printed simulators in surgical training allow practitioners and trainees to refine their surgical skills and anatomical knowledge before working in clinical settings. This novel training tool has opened new avenues for proficiency-based learning in surgical training, which has traditionally followed an apprenticeship model. This study presents the development and evaluation of a novel patient-specific 3D-printed simulation model for EEA and TOA procedures. Detailed anatomical information from the multimodal neuroimaging profiles was combined and reconstructed into a 3D model. Using this model, we simulated various modules of EEA and TOA. The model demonstrated the complex anatomy and associated pathologies of the skull base.