Step-Specific Simulation: The Utility of 3D Printing for the Fabrication of a Low-Cost, Learning Needs-Based Rhinoplasty Simulator

Zammit D, Safran T, Ponnudurai N, Jaberi M, Chen L, Noel G, Gilardino MS.

PubMed 32064498 Publisher (DOI)

What this paper says

The authors 3D printed a modular rhinoplasty training simulator with separate bone, cartilage and skin materials, addressing five identified learning weaknesses at a recurring cost of about $75 CAD.

Overview

Surgical training must balance giving residents hands-on experience against ensuring difficult steps are done correctly. Simulation offers practice outside the operating room. This study built a rhinoplasty simulator from a patient CT scan, targeting the specific steps trainees find hardest.

Sections of note

A patient's facial bones, upper and lower lateral cartilages, and septum were segmented from a computed tomography scan and rendered in 3D.
Materials used: Ultimaker polylactic filament with dissolvable polyvinyl acetate support for bone; a mixture of Rigur 450 and Tango Plus polyjet material for cartilage; Smooth-On Dragon Skin for skin.
The result is a modular simulator with 3 separate, interchangeable components with a perfect fit design.
It allows deliberate practice of 5 rhinoplasty learning areas of weakness.
Maximum recurring cost is $75 CAD.
The stated context is the shift toward competency-based education in plastic surgery.
The abstract does not name the five learning areas, and reports no trainee performance data or validation.

What it means for a patient

This concerns how surgeons are trained rather than how patients are treated.
Separate materials are used for bone, cartilage and skin so each behaves differently under the instrument.
Interchangeable modules mean one part can be replaced after practice rather than the whole model.
No evidence is reported that practice on the simulator improves surgical performance.

Why this paper matters

Rhinoplasty is difficult to teach because mistakes on a patient are hard to undo, and realistic simulators have been expensive. A $75 recurring cost changes what a training program can offer. Whether the simulator improves trainee skill is the untested question.

Terms

Surgical simulation: Practicing an operation on a model rather than a patient.
Deliberate practice: Repeated focused practice of a specific skill.
Segmentation: Outlining structures within a scan so they can be modeled.
Competency-based education: Training assessed by demonstrated skill rather than time served.
Modular: Built from separate interchangeable parts.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-09; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Rhinoplasty is a complex procedure that requires meticulous planning and precise execution. Plastic surgeons involved in teaching residents must balance a trainee's hands-on experience while ensuring appropriate execution of difficult maneuvers. Surgical simulation, a field of growing importance with the shift towards…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.