The Use of Video Glasses Improved Learning of Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Publication date: Available online 27 October 2018

Source: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Author(s): Evie Landry, Michael Yong, Julie Pauwels, Neil K. Chadha

Abstract

Objective

One of the most common challenges in surgical education for trainees is gaining practical experience through observing procedures in the operating room. Due to the nature of some procedures, a narrow surgical view severely limits the learning experience. Video glasses are new devices that offer the potential to project the primary surgeon's exact view to learners in real-time, allowing for an enhanced operative learning experience.

Study Design

Single center randomized prospective trial.

Setting

Tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Participants

Using block randomization, medical students and surgical residents observed either a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy, either directly at table-side or by real-time video feed from the surgeon's video glasses projected to a screen in the operating room, in random order. Participants then completed a survey comparing aspects of their learning experience viewing the procedure through the video feed in comparison to direct observation.

Main Outcome

Measures: Evaluating the hypothesis that video glasses provided an improved overall learning experience and a realistic simulation of the open surgical procedures tested.

Results

23 trainees participated in the study. Survey results demonstrated that the overall learning experience with the use of video glasses was significantly improved when compared to direct visualization (average Visual Analog scale (VAS) score 82/100 vs. 64/100, p=0.021).Video glasses were shown to be superior when comparing the view of the surgical field (83/100 vs. 54/100 on VAS, p<0.001) and the ability to identify anatomical structures (79/100 vs. 56/100 on VAS, p=0.001). The ease of following surgical steps with video glasses was also shown to be better than by direct visualization (81/100 vs. 69/100 on VAS, p=0.039). All participants stated that video glasses closely simulated the learning environment of the real-life open procedure.

Conclusion

This study showed that the use of video glasses was beneficial for surgical education and a realistic tool for learners at varying levels of training. Video glasses may significantly improve the learning experience for procedures with a narrow field of view.

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