Basic microsurgical skills can be taught to novices with video material only - a prospective multicenter laboratory study

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by James

Rising educational video use is positioned as an alternative to apprenticeship-style surgical teaching for novices learning microsuturing. A prospective international multicenter laboratory study evaluated whether 8 hours of video-based instruction alone matches hands-on tutoring in skill acquisition. Thirty European medical students were randomized to video-only or video plus tutoring and to exoscope or microscope magnification. Standardized microsuturing tasks were recorded and scored for speed, quality, and errors. Video-only yielded non-inferior results versus hands-on tutoring, with no significant microscope-versus-exoscope differences; all groups improved.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and rationale

Research gap in microsurgical education

Materials and methods

Training design and randomization

Assessment of microsuturing performance

Results

Skill improvement outcomes

Comparisons by training mode and device

Discussion and conclusion

Practical implications for novice training

Brain and Spine 6 (2026) 105910 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Brain and Spine journal [homepage:](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/brain-and-spine)[ www.journals.elsevier.com/brain-and-spine](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/brain-and-spine) | Basic microsurgical skills can be taught to novices with video material only- a prospective multicenter laboratory study
Andrei Schildta,*, Anni Pohjola a,1 , Ville Vasankari a,1 , Jenni M¨¨aatt¨a a,1, Anna Seidlov´a b , Martin M´ajovský b , Norbert Svoboda b , David Netukab, Ahmad Hafez a , Martin Leheckaa
a Department of Neurosurgery, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 266, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland
b Department of Neurosurgery and Neurooncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Military University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic | | | | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | Keywords:
Video education Neurosurgery Surgical training Exoscope | | Introduction: The increasing use of educational video materials has provided an alternative to traditional apprenticeship-models in surgical education. We aim to evaluate if video materials are as effective as hands-on tutoring in teaching basic microsuturing skills. Additionally, we want to see if the magnification device (microscope vs. exoscope) affects learning outcomes.
Research question: Is video-based instruction an effective alternative to hands-on tutoring in teaching basic microsuturing skills to novices?
Materials and methods: We designed an 8-h training program with videos to teach basic microsuturing skills to novices. Thirty medical students from two large medical universities in Europe (Helsinki and Prague) were randomised to receive either video instructions only (n = 20) or hands-on tutoring and video instruction (n = 10). Participants were further assigned to using either an exoscope (n = 15) or a microscope (n = 15) in their training. We assessed skill acquisition using a standardized microsuturing test task. All tasks were recorded and scored based task speed, quality of the suturing and the number of errors.
Results: All groups demonstrated significant improvement in suturing speed, qualitative assessment, and fewer errors. Video instructions only produced non-inferior results to hands-on tutoring in the improvement in speed, error count and quality of sutures. No significant differences were found when comparing microscope and exoscope users.
Discussion and conclusion: Video-based instruction and hands-on tutoring seem equally effective in teaching basic microsuturing to surgical novices, irrespective of the magnification device used. Video-materials can be utilized in microsurgical laboratory training of novices as a more resource-efficient teaching method compared to handson tutoring. | 1. Introduction Traditionally, surgical training has followed an apprenticeship model in which students progress from observation to active participation (Evans and Schenarts, 2016; Walter, 2006; Youssef et al., 2023). This method of training requires the presence of an experienced instructor, making it more resource-demanding and difficult to scale to a larger audience. In recent years, education technology has seen a rise in the use of remote teaching methods, such as video materials, along with the COVID-19 pandemic (Koh and Daniel, 2022). These remote methods are potentially a more resource-efficient method of teaching. While high-quality video materials have been found to be effective in the teaching of laparoscopic and open surgical skills (Youssef et al., 2023; Ahmet et al., 2018; Akl et al., 2008; Alameddine et al., 2018; Chien et al., 2015; Crawshaw et al., 2016; Dantas et al., 2010; Hamour et al., 2018; Nousiainen et al., 2008; van Det et al., 2011), their role in microsurgical education remains unclear. The emergence of 3D exoscopes has expanded the microsurgical training landscape, raising questions about the optimal

FAQs

What primary question does the study address?

Whether video-based instruction alone is an effective alternative to hands-on tutoring for teaching basic microsuturing skills to novices.

How were participants trained and assigned?

Thirty medical students were randomized to receive either video instructions only or hands-on tutoring plus video instruction, and were additionally assigned to training using either an exoscope or a microscope.

What were the key results comparing tutoring and devices?

All groups improved in speed, qualitative assessment, and error reduction. Video-only instruction produced non-inferior results versus hands-on tutoring, and there were no significant differences between microscope and exoscope users.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by James