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The First Year of Global Cleft Surgery Education Through Digital Simulation

Introduction: Parallel to worldwide disparities in patient access to health care, the operative opportunities of surgical trainees are increasingly restricted across the globe. Efforts have been directed toward enhancing surgical education outside the operating room and reducing the wide variability in global trainee operative experience. However, high costs and other logistical concerns may limit the reproducibility and sustainability of nonoperative surgical education resources. Methods: A partnership between the academic, nonprofit, and industry sectors resulted in the development of an online virtual surgical simulator for cleft repair. First year global access patterns were observed. Results: The simulator is freely accessible online and includes 5 normal and pathologic anatomy modules, 5 modules demonstrating surgical markings, and 7 step-by-step procedural modules. Procedural modules include high-definition intraoperative footage to supplement the virtual animation in addition to include multiple-choice test questions. In its first year, the simulator was accessed by 849 novel users from 78 countries; 70% of users accessed the simulator from a developing nation. Conclusion: The Internet shows promise as a platform for surgical education and may help address restrictions and reduce disparities in surgical training. The virtual surgical simulator presented may serve as the foundation for the development of a global curriculum in cleft repair.