1. Open Lobectomy Simulator Is an Effective Tool for Teaching Thoracic Surgical Skills 
Yvonne M. Carter, MD, M. Blair Marshall, MD 
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 
Volume 87, Issue 5, Pages (May 2009)
DOI: /j.athoracsur
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

2. Fig 1
The human torso replica was constructed from poultry netting (A), which was then covered with a fiberglass plaster (B). The hole was modeled to replicate a retracted posterolateral thoracotomy wound.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

3. Fig 2
A bovine lung was placed within the torso model, replicating the view a thoracic surgeon has after retracting a posterolateral thoracotomy incision in a human.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

4. Fig 3
There was no difference in the knowledge-based test scores after a single simulation session. Scores significantly improved when students repeated the examination after the fourth simulation session. (*p < 0.05.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

5. Fig 4
The average time to complete the simulated lobectomy significantly decreased during the third week of the study. This improvement in operative times was sustained into the fourth week. (*†p < 0.05.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

6. Fig 5
Task-specific operative skills improved during the third week of the study, with significantly higher Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills evaluation scores. Skills continued to improve in the final week of the simulation. (*†p < 0.05.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

7. Fig 6
Improvements in the global performance scores were similar to the trend for the task-specific skills. The average scores on this Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills scale significantly improved in the third week, and continued to improve in the fourth session. (*†p < 0.05.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2009 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions