To determine if intraoperative inspection of patient-specific 3D-printed TB models, as a supplement to standard imaging, affects the cognitive load of surgeons during cochlear implantation (CI).
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
If 3D-printed temporal bone models are shown to significantly reduce surgeon cognitive load during cochlear implantation, they could become a useful intraoperative adjunct — but final results and effect size from this RCT are needed before recommending adoption.
Reducing surgeon cognitive load in complex cochlear implant surgery could improve procedural safety and outcomes, and this RCT is one of the first to rigorously evaluate a 3D-printed anatomical model as an intraoperative tool.
- 01RCT tested whether patient-specific 3D-printed temporal bone models reduce surgeon cognitive load during cochlear implantation.
- 02Models were used as a supplement to — not a replacement for — standard preoperative imaging.
- 03Cognitive load (mental effort during surgery) was the primary outcome, a patient-safety-relevant measure.
- 04This is a randomized controlled design, offering higher evidence quality than prior observational 3D-printing studies.
- 05Published in The Laryngoscope, a leading otolaryngology journal.
Intraoperative use of patient-specific 3D-printed temporal bone models affects surgeon cognitive load during cochlear implantation.
studyunclear3D-printed temporal bone models serve as a supplement to standard imaging rather than a standalone tool.
studysupported- PMID
- 42680684
- DOI
- 10.1002/lary.70887.
- Journal
- The Laryngoscope
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 1b
- Population
- Surgeons performing cochlear implantation procedures
- Intervention
- Patient-specific 3D-printed temporal bone model as intraoperative supplement to standard imaging
- Comparator
- Standard imaging alone
Primary outcomes
Surgeon cognitive load during cochlear implantation