Research Day
DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT TISSUE SIMULATORS FOR BIOPSY AND SUTURING TRAINING AMONG STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS
Document Type
Abstract
Date
2021
Abstract
Background: Abscess drainage, cyst removal, shave biopsy, skin tag removal are commonly performed outpatient procedures for which medical students, medical residents need training. While multiple commercial training models exist to assist trainees in practicing various outpatient dermatological procedures, these do not provide skills of palpation since they often lack the 3 soft tissue layers found anatomically including dermis, subcutaneous tissue and muscle fibers.
Method: Silicon based casts were made in stages by adding dye and allowing the silicon to solidify creating multiple layers of soft tissue, with muscle fibers at the base, subcutaneous layer above the muscle layer and skin layer most superficially. A mesh was placed within the subcutaneous layer while hardening. This provided tensile strength for the simulators to allowing trainees to approximate the skin layers during suturing. The skin layer was hardened within textured plaster molds to develop skin tags and warts with a skin like texture. Cysts were developed filling latex glove finger tips with non-scented moisturizer. These cysts were placed between the subcutaneous and skin layers of the model during the hardening process.
Results/Discussion: Medical student and Resident trainees used scalpel, forceps and sutures with hemostats to perform skin tag removal, perform shave biopsy and cysts removal. The mesh located between subcutaneous and skin layers allowed for the tensile strength needed to approximate the superficial skin layer together during suturing. Our model highlights how low-cost soft tissue simulators can be developed and used to train medical students and medical residents in performing common soft tissue outpatient procedures.