Surgical Skills Station

Objectives:

Participants will rotate through hands-on stations covering essential neurosurgical techniques:

  • Pinning and Positioning

  • Drilling and Plating

  • Instruments, Knots, and Suturing

  • Hemostasis and Tissue Resection

  • Spine Dissection

Surgical Case Simulations

Objectives:

Experience managing complex neurosurgical scenarios through realistic simulations, including:

  • Simulation 1

  • Simulation 2

  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)

  • Posterior Fossa Pathology

  • Spine 1: Trauma

  • Spine 2: Degenerative Disease

  • Lumbar Puncture

  • Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Management/Hydrocephalus

  • External Ventricular Drain (EVD) Placement

  • Intracranial Pressure (ICP) Monitoring and Subdural Hematoma (SDH) Management

  • Transsphenoidal Surgery

  • Ventricular Endoscopy

  • Trauma Patient Management

Content

Station 1- Simulation 1A

Objectives:

• Collaborate as part of a team to ensure early resuscitation and appropriate communication strategies in the emergency room

• Demonstrate leadership and situational awareness to ensure patient safety during a neurosurgery emergency

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop an initial management plan

• Communicate to peers the condition of a neurosurgery patient

Station 4 - Posterior Fossa

Objectives:

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop an initial management plan

• Recognize surface landmarks for, and brain anatomy exposed by, the suboccipital craniotomy

• Demonstrate, using role play, how to effectively deliver bad news

Station 2 - Simulation 1B

Objectives:

• Demonstrate assessment and management of a patient with a seizure

• Differentiate treatment for status epilepticus vs. uncomplicated seizure

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop and initial management plan

• Effectively communicate situation to senior resident or staff

Station 5 - Spine-trauma

Objectives:

• Understand basic principles in evaluating and initially managing a patient with a spinal cord injury

• Demonstrate appropriate halo application and show how this is used in cervical traction / reduction

• Effectively communicate overnight on-call update on am neurosurgery resident rounds

Station 3 - SAH

Objectives:

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop an initial management plan

• Effectively communicate the management plan to a senior resident or staff

• Recognize surface landmarks for, and brain anatomy exposed by, the pterional craniotomy

• Outline the physiology of hyponatremia and the immediate / longer term treatment options

Station 6 - Spine-degenerative

Objectives:

• Differentiate radicular from non-radicular back and neck pains

• Identify myelopathy presentation and findings

• Get informed consent for a lumber disectomy

• Basic laminectomy skills

Station 7 - Lumbar Puncture

Objectives:

• Demonstrate how to perform a lumbar puncture including the preparation for the procedure (preparation and draping), finding the appropriate level and collection of the CSF

• Demonstrate how to set up and connect a lumbar drainage system

• Write orders for a lumbar drainage system

Station 8 - CSF/Hydrocephalus

Objectives:

• Explain the physiology of hydrocephalus

• List the usual sequence of events in the insertion of ventriculoperitoneal shunt

• Practice tapping a shunt in sterile conditions / changing valve settings

• Explain the physics and mechanics of how shunt systems work

Station 9 - EVD

Objectives:

• Describe the landmarks for EVD insertion

• Insert an external ventricular drain using the traditional landmarks and correctly attach to an external ventricular collection system

• Demonstrate the ability to trouble shoot to assess functionality of the drain

• Find ideal position and angle for inservion of EVD in VR

Station 10 - ICP & SDH

Objectives:

• Describe the homeostatic mechanisms that govern the volume / pressure relationship as it relates to ICP under normal and pathological conditions

• Understand indications for external ventricular drainage

• Understand prevailing theory as to how chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) develop

• Recognize CT features of cSDH and how they are treated

• Place a burr hole for cSDH

Station 11 - Transsphenoidal

Objectives:

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop an initial management plan

• Become familiar with the basic use of the endoscope

• Demonstrate important anatomical landmarks in the transsphenoidal approach to the anterior skill base

Station 12 - Trauma Patient

Objectives:

• Collaborate as part of a team to ensure early resuscitation and appropriate communication strategies in the emergency room.

• Demonstrate leadership and situational awareness to ensure patient safety during a neurosurgery emergency

• Systematically interpret a CT scan and develop an initial management plan

• Effectively communicate overnight on-call update on am neurosurgery resident rounds

• Recognize and describe the anatomical explanation for a cranial nerve III palsy

• Demonstrate, using role play, how to deliver bad news