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Virtual surgery planning tool may improve nasal airway obstruction

Surgeons reported a positive experience with a virtual surgery planning tool that uses computational fluid dynamic simulations to improve nasal airway obstruction.

The cross-sectional study included 60-minute face-to-face interviews with nine board-certified otolaryngologists who had an average of about 15 years of experience, and performed a mean of 2.2 nasal surgeries per month. Eligible participants were from a single center and underwent interviews between Sept. 16, 2016 and Oct. 7, 2017. The researchers showed the participants virtual surgery methods, after which participants could interact with the tool and then view a patient case.

Responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with the lower score indicating that the model was not at all like actual surgery, and the higher score indicating that the model was completely like actual surgery. The mean score was 3.4.

Also using a 1 to 5 scale, surgeons rated how likely the tool was to change surgical decision-making. The mean score of this assessment was 2.6.

Using a 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) scale, the perceived usefulness of the tool scored 5.1. Also on this scale, the attitude toward using the tool scored 5.7.

“Surgeons felt that future applications and areas of study of the virtual surgery planning tool include its potential role for patient counseling, selecting appropriate surgical candidates, and identifying which anatomical structures should be targeted for surgical correction,” the researchers concluded. – by Rob Volansky

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.