Development of a new educational material for neck dissection using three-dimensional contents

Objective: Being proficient in neck dissection （ND） is a gateway to success for head and neck surgeons. However, it is not easy to master the procedure since the neck has essential structures, such as nerves and vessels, which exist in three-dimensional （3D） form. In this study, we aimed to develop digital educational material for ND to meet learners’ demands. Methods: Content analysis of a questionnaire survey of 27 otolaryngologists revealed that existing conventional educational materials do not have enough information on 3D anatomy and actual surgical flow. Based on the results, we developed a new educational material for ND including 3D models of the neck and 3D virtual reality movies. Results: Twenty otolaryngologists participated in the questionnaire survey to evaluate the developed educational material. According to the results of the co-occurrence network of words in their descriptions, the following three categories were found to be advantageous compared to traditional materials: （1） 3D images of the anatomy, （2） videos to understand the surgical process, and （3） step-by-step explanations of the procedure. Conclusion: This material is considered valuable as a new educational tool for young otolaryngologists learning neck dissection.