Basic skin flaps for the general surgeon: A teaching method

Background. Teaching residents the design and creation of skin flaps is cha llenging because the use of skin flaps is not common enough during the cour se of a typical residency ro provide a broad experience base. Methods. A 12 x 12-inch board with a 1/8-inch foam rubber covering was desi gned to provide for the creation of four flaps and one Z-plasty. A lecture and practical exercise were used to teach basic techniques. Performance was measured by preexamination and postexamination, as well as by a resident s atisfaction survey. Results. Mean scores improved by 45%. The resident survey revealed an avera ge subjective rating was 4.7 on a scale of 1 to 5. All residents rated this format superior to traditional lecture instruction. Total cost to provide laboratory experience for 16 residents was $50. Materials can be recovered and reused at a cost of $0.40 each. Conclusions. The materials developed provided an effective, inexpensive non biologic model for teaching preoperative skills.