The new Surgical Simulation Laboratory (SSL) at the University of Kansas Medical Center is the latest project spear-headed by the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery in support of our ongoing commitment to excellence in surgical training. The SSL will provide high-fidelity, hands-on surgical simulation for residents, fellows and students training at KU. The SSL will also expand opportunities for the Department to host surgical skills courses for regional and national audiences.
Each of the 8-10 workstations will be fully equipped with a microscope and powered instruments capable of surgical simulation and training for:

• Temporal bone dissection
• Skull base surgery
• Head and neck microvascular surgery

Outfitted with state-of-the art audiovisual capabilities, learners will be able to watch course directors lead dissections in real time.

Dear Family and Friends of KU Otolaryngology,

This year, the Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery (OTO-HNS) residency program at the University of Kansas enters its sixty-sixth-year training residents and fellows. A foundational part of every aspiring Otolaryngologist’s education is learning to perform ear surgery. Temporal bone anatomy can be very unforgiving, and a millimeter or two of error can lead to deafness, facial paralysis, stroke, or trauma to the brain. Like athletic skill building, practice and repetition are key to developing proficiency and competency. The temporal bone lab provides trainees an opportunity to develop surgical skills in a high-fidelity, simulated environment prior to progressing to surgery in actual patients.

For the last four decades, the Gunnar Proud Laboratory, built in 1985, served as the training space for our residents and fellow to get in those critical reps in otologic surgery. Many among you spent nights and weekends in that very lab, learning the fundamentals of temporal bone drilling. Unfortunately, in the last few years, the drainage and vacuum systems for the lab have deteriorated beyond repair, leaving a significant gap in our trainees’ education.

The OTO-HNS Department leadership has committed to building a new surgical simulation laboratory to fill this void. This lab will consist of 8 to 10 workstations, each fully equipped with a microscope and powered instruments capable of simulation and training in temporal bone dissection, as well as skull base and microvascular surgery.

The lab space will be outfitted with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment to optimize teaching. Learners will be able to watch instructors conduct dissections in real time. As we hope to invite guests from outside Kansas City and the region for surgical skills and dissections courses, the finish will be ergonomically and fashionably contemporary.

As you might gather, this undertaking will require substantial resources and finances. To make our surgical simulation lab endeavor a reality, we are asking for your support. Please consider donating to help KU Otolaryngology remain at the forefront of surgical training and innovation.

We appreciate your continued support.

Cheers,

L. Shnayder, M.D., FACS
Interim Bridwell Russell M.D. Endowed Chair Douglas A. Girod Endowed Professor of Head and Neck Oncology

Shannon M. Kraft, M.D.
Vice Chair for Education Division Director for Laryngology

James Lin, M.D.
Director of Ambulatory Operations
Division Director for Otology