Evaluating the didactic value of 3D visualization in otosurgery

INTRODUCTION: Improvements of surgical visualization add value to the quality of clinical routine and offer the opportunity to improve surgical education of medical staff. The aim of this study was to determine whether otorhinolaryngology trainees gain additional comprehension of the anatomical structures and the surgical site when 3D visualization is used. METHODS: Data were collected from ENT trainees of microsurgical courses of the middle ear, inner ear and lateral skull base at four university ENT departments (Charité (Berlin), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Halle/Saale), Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich) and Rostock University Medical Center). Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the subjective value of identical surgical field visualization in 3D for surgeon and observer. RESULTS: A total of 112 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants stated a high additional value of 3D visualization compared to 2D visualization, with 75% fully agreeing to the statement that 3D visualization of the surgical field is superior to perceive the anatomical topography and structures compared to 2D representation. Participants encouraged the storage of data in online learning platforms. CONCLUSION: The results show that 3D visualization with identical imaging for surgeon and observer is a useful tool in teaching of microsurgery. It addresses perception of anatomical topography and structures as well as conception of the surgical workflow. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00405-020-06171-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.