Bridging the Gap in Rhinoplasty Training: The Effectiveness of 3D Printed Models in Surgical Education

Rehman U, Polglase N, Kahn D, Dogan T, Paun S, D'Souza A, Uppal R, Eynon-Lewis N, Lechner M.

PubMed 40129179 Publisher (DOI)Free full text (PMC)

What this paper says

A 3D-printed rhinoplasty training model was rated helpful by all 53 surgeons at a course, 91% called its realism excellent or very good against cadavers, and 20 residents' skill scores nearly doubled (11.7 to 21.6 of 40) after practising on it.

Overview

Rhinoplasty is hard to learn without operating on patients, and cadavers are scarce in many countries. The London authors developed a proprietary 3D-printed nasal model and tested face and content validity with 53 surgeons at a rhinoplasty course, and criterion validity with 20 surgical residents scored on an objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSAT) before and after a training session.

Sections of note

53 of 53 surgeons said the model aided learning.
48 of 53 (91%) rated realism excellent or very good compared with cadaveric specimens.
Resident OSAT scores rose from 11.7 (SD 1.80) to 21.6 (SD 1.79) out of 40 (P < .0001).
Proposed uses: pre-cadaver training adjunct, or primary training tool where cadavers are unavailable.

What it means for a patient

Surgeons in training can now rehearse rhinoplasty steps on a realistic printed nose before touching a patient.
Better-trained surgeons is the intended patient benefit; the study measures trainee skill, not patient outcomes.
The model is proprietary to the authors' group.

Why this paper matters

It validates a scalable alternative to cadaver dissection for rhinoplasty education. Limits: self-rated realism, one training session, skill measured immediately after practice.

Terms

Face validity: whether a model looks and feels like the real thing to experts.
Content validity: whether it covers the relevant skills.
Criterion validity: whether training on it improves measured performance.
OSAT: Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills, a standard surgical skills score.

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

Abstract

Background: Rhinoplasty is a common facial plastic surgery procedure for both functional and aesthetic indications. The use of 3-dimensional (3D) models has been reported as a potential method for providing hands-on training for learning rhinoplasty without jeopardizing patient care.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a novel model for rhinoplasty training.

Methods: The rhinoplasty models were designed and produced with proprietary 3D printing technology. Face and content validity were assessed during a rhinoplasty course involving 53 surgeons. Criterion validity was evaluated in a training session with 20 surgical residents, measuring improvements in surgical skills after practice with the 3D models, with an objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSAT).

Results: All surgeons (n = 53, 100%) stated that the rhinoplasty model aided in their learning and development. In all, 91% (n = 48) of surgeons rated the realism of the model as excellent or very good in comparison to cadaveric specimens. Assessment of criterion validity showed a statistically significant improvement in OSAT scores among surgical residents, increasing from a baseline of 11.7/40 (SD ± 1.80) to 21.6/40 (SD ± 1.79) post session (P < .0001).

Conclusions: The 3D rhinoplasty models showed good content, face, and criterion validity, objectively improving residents' surgical performance. Rhinoplasty 3D models may serve as a precadaveric training adjunct, equipping trainees with fundamental skills before cadaveric dissection, or as a primary training modality in countries with limited cadaver access. Therefore the models offer an innovative approach to training the next generation of rhinoplasty surgeons.

Abstract as indexed by PubMed; the article is open access (PubMed Central).