OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY (ENT)

With the support of UCC’s Anatomy Department ASSERTs Surgical Skills Lab is providing a series of 5 to 8 short labs to facilitate Surgical Trainees from across Corks University Hospitals in Otological Surgical drilling techniques of the Temporal bone.

The complex anatomy has always posed a steep learning curve for new surgeons and in particular the relational anatomy to finite Neurosensory and Neurovascular structures has proven challenging.

Dissection and preparation of the Temporal bone first assists the surgeon in orientation surgical pathway planning.

A choice of microscopes and imaging modalities in conjunction with combinations of surgical drill sets and suction to be used on fresh and fixed bone blocks provides a fantastic opportunity to experiment, develop, enhance and appreciate the delicate subtleties of surgical haptics. Especially vital is to learn how to be quantifying accurate with the drilling burr and being able to manipulate the bone facilitates this very well.

The retained Temporal bones can usefully be examined to compare, contrast and learn from each participants surgical explorations.

The surgical skills team at ASSERT are keen to develop further works shops and simulated surgical learning in ENT.