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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2019; 46(02): 102-107
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2018.00150
Review Article

The use of mobile computing devices in microsurgery

Georgios Pafitanis 
Group for Academic Plastic Surgery, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Department of Plastic Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
,
Michalis Hadjiandreou 
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
,
Robert Miller
Group for Academic Plastic Surgery, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
,
Katrina Mason 
Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, University Hospital Lewisham, London, UK
,
Evgenia Theodorakopoulou 
Department of Plastic Surgery, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, Norwich, UK
,
Amir Sadri
Department of Plastic Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
,
Kirsten Taylor
Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George’s Hospital, London, UK
,
Simon Myers 
Group for Academic Plastic Surgery, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Mobile computing devices (MCDs), such as smartphones and tablets, are revolutionizing medical practice. These devices are almost universally available and offer a multitude of capabilities, including online features, streaming capabilities, high-quality cameras, and numerous applications. Within the surgical field, MCDs are increasingly being used for simulations. Microsurgery is an expanding field of surgery that presents unique challenges to both trainees and trainers. Simulation-based training and assessment in microsurgery currently play an integral role in the preparation of trainee surgeons in a safe and informative environment. MCDs address these challenges in a novel way by providing valuable adjuncts to microsurgical training, assessment, and clinical practice through low-cost, effective, and widely accessible solutions. Herein, we present a review of the capabilities, accessibility, and relevance of MCDs for technical skills acquisition, training, and clinical microsurgery practice, and consider the possibility of their wider use in the future of microsurgical training and education.

Keywords

Microsurgery - Education, medical, continuing - Teaching


Publication History

Received: 14 February 2018

Accepted: 27 February 2019

Article published online:
03 April 2022

© 2019. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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