Surgical Training Simulators for Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review

Gill P, Levin M, Farhood Z, Asaria J.

What this paper says

A systematic review of 17 rhinoplasty simulator studies (1984-2021) finds cadaver, animal, virtual and 3D-printed models all raise trainee confidence, but few have been validated and none has automated assessment.

Overview

Rhinoplasty training is an observational apprenticeship and trainees rarely perform key manoeuvres. The Toronto authors searched PubMed, OVID Embase, OVID Medline and Web of Science per PRISMA for original research on rhinoplasty simulators.

Sections of note

17 studies, 1984-2021; participants 4 to 24 per study, from medical students to staff surgeons.
Simulator types: 8 cadaveric (3 human), 1 live animal, 2 virtual, 6 three-dimensional models.
Animal and human simulators significantly increased trainee confidence.
A 3D-printed model significantly improved rhinoplasty knowledge.
Limits: no automated evaluation; heavy reliance on expert feedback; most studies focus on development rather than validation.

What it means for a patient

Simulator-trained surgeons may arrive at their first real cases with more practice, but the evidence is mostly about confidence, not skill or patient outcomes.
Few simulators have been formally validated.

Why this paper matters

It is the reference review on rhinoplasty simulation and identifies the validation gap. Limits: small heterogeneous studies, confidence-based outcomes.

Terms

Simulator: a physical, animal or computer model for practising surgery.
Validation: proof that a training tool measures or improves what it claims to.
Apprenticeship model: learning by watching and assisting an experienced surgeon.
3D-printed model: a physical replica produced from a digital design.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Rhinoplasty training currently follows an apprenticeship model that is largely observational. Trainees have limited experience in performing maneuvers of this complex surgery. Rhinoplasty simulators can address this issue by providing trainees with the opportunity to gain surgical simulator experience that could…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.