Cleft lip and palate is the most common facial defect and causes several aesthetic and functional problems. The use of training models is recommended for training new surgeons, especially for surgeries in the oral cavity where surgical access and instrument handling are difficult. This paper describes a replicable training model of cleft palate closure that helps new surgeons acquire the technical skills required to carry out safe palatoplasty surgeries. The training model is composed of 5 steps, including theoretical classes, monitoring of real surgery procedures, and the preparation of the training model. The training model proposed here allows the surgeon to become familiar with surgery in the small and deep oral cavity; to learn how to use magnifying glasses and/or microscopes; and to perform incisions, dissection, and suturing at a depth. The model can be made manually and inexpensively, and is easy to replicate. The proposed simulator provides realistic training in palatoplasty and can be used to teach surgical techniques.
Palate; Training; Simulation
