suturing, knot-tying) for junior surgical trainees. Portable simulators may be the most equitable solution to allow regular basic skills practice (e.g. The models described provide simple and affordable options for self-assembly, although a significant proportion have not been subject to any validation. Non-commercial models commonly utilised retail off-the-shelf components, which allowed reduction in costs and greater ease of construction. Laptop computers were prerequisite where direct vision was not used. Key components of simulator construction were identified as abdominal cavity and wall, port site, light source, visualisation, and camera monitor. The cost ranged from £3 to £216 for non-commercial and £60 to £1007 for commercial simulators. Commercial simulators had better face validation compared with non-commercial. Seventy-three unique simulators were identified (60 non-commercial, 13 commercial) 55 % (33) of non-commercial trainers were subject to at least one type of validation compared with 92 % (12) of commercial trainers. Validation, equipment needed, cost, and ease of assembly were examined.
Construction simulator 2015 trainer portable#
We included articles describing portable and low-cost laparoscopic simulators that were ready-made or suitable for assembly articles not in English, with inadequate descriptions of the simulator, and costs >£1500 were excluded. MEDLINE/EMBASE was searched for articles between 19. MethodĪ systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines. Our objective was to undertake a systematic review of low-cost laparoscopic simulators. An alternative is needed to practise laparoscopic skills at home. Opportunities for surgical skills practice using high-fidelity simulation in the workplace are limited due to cost, time and geographical constraints, and accessibility to junior trainees.