This review looked at how medical students and residents learn to perform ear surgery. Researchers compared two methods: endoscopic ear surgery (EES) and microscopic ear surgery (MES). The study included 287 participants across eight different training settings, including simulations and live surgeries.
Findings show that students preferred the endoscopic method because it provided better visual quality and helped them understand anatomy more easily during the early stages of training. However, the study found no significant difference in how much anatomical knowledge students gained from either method.
For advanced technical skills, such as hand coordination and depth perception, senior trainees often preferred the traditional microscope. Because the evidence is based on a review of various studies with some subjective measures, the results are not definitive. Experts suggest that training programs should use both methods in a specific order to help students master both the visual orientation and the advanced physical skills needed for surgery.
