Skill Development in Cerebral Angiography Coiling Procedures using Haptic Simulation
My research is focused on skill development in cerebral angiography coiling procedures using haptic simulation. During an endovascular intervention with a cerebral aneurysm, an interventionalist manipulates a set of wires and catheters in order to fill and stabilize the aneurysmal space. This procedure uses limited fluoroscopy monitoring to navigate a 3D endovascular network – a combination of obstacles that make the procedure difficult. Currently, fellowships specializing in teaching these procedures are limited to offering most technical training in the operating room. With the appropriate implementation of simulation, it would be advantageous to target and develop core procedural skills and competencies.
Using a haptic simulator, we showed dramatic improvements in skill development in aneurysm coiling in novices. We were able to show that simulation can significantly improve the acquisition of basic interventional skills, such as coil placement and aneurysm filling, in novice trainees. This progress is complemented by reduced navigational errors and procedural time, providing us with valuable information on the learning curves that novices exhibit in attaining clinical competency.
Currently, we are looking to establish core actions made by expert interventionalists in clinical scenarios to build simulation-based training programs for future interventional angiography fellows.
