Primary Dural Repair via an Endoscopic Endonasal Corridor: Preliminary Development of a 3D-Printed Model for Training

Objectives Endonasal suturing is an investigational method for dural repair that has been reported to decrease the incidence of cerebrospinal fluid fistula. This method requires handling of single-shaft instrumentation in the narrow endonasal corridor. In this study, we designed a low-cost, surgical model using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to simulate dural repair through the endonasal corridor and subsequently assess the utility of the model for surgical training. Methods Using an Ultimaker 2+ printer, a 3D-printed replica of the cranial base and nasal cavity was fitted with tissue allograft to recapitulate the dural layer. Residents, fellows, and attending surgeons were asked to place two sutures using a 0-degree endoscope and single-shaft needle driver. Task completion time was recorded. Participants were asked to fill out a Likert scale questionnaire after the experiment. Results Twenty-six participants were separated into groups based on their prior endoscope experience: novice, intermediate, and expert. Twenty-one (95.5%) residents and fellows rated the model as “excellent” or “good” in enhancing their technical skills with endoscopic instrumentation. Three of four (75%) of attendings felt that the model was “excellent” or “good” in usefulness for training in dural suturing. Novice participants required an average of 11 minutes for task completion, as compared with 8.7 minutes for intermediates and 5.7 minutes for experts. Conclusion The proposed model appears to be highly effective in enhancing the endoscopic skills and recapitulating the task of dural repair. Such a low-cost model may be especially important in enhancing endoscopic facility in countries/regions with limited access to cadaveric specimens.