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Background: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is performed on endonasal landmarks that have great anatomical variability, therefore a detailed preoperative study of these structures is necessary. Objective: To develop a checklist for the systematic identification of the paranasal sinuses and the skull base, based on 3D images that guide the planning and implementation of ESS to minimize complications and improve surgical outcomes. Methods: This study evaluates the usefulness of the “ABCDEF Checklist”, in a randomized study involving 30 otolaryngologists with more than 2 years of practical experience in ESS evaluating preoperative radiological examination and subsequent surgical performance in the sinus of 30 cadavers. Results: Differences between groups in identifying the essential anatomical references were significant in 9 of the 11 essential anatomical references for the Checklist Group Surgical procedures and surgical mistakes were performed systematically less often in the Checklist group but the differences did not reach significance after Bonferroni correction. Conclusions: The use of "ABCDEF Checklist" prior to ESS facilitates the identification of the essential anatomical references for the preoperative and systematized planning of the surgical procedures. However, in this small sample of 15 participants per group the differences found in the performance of the surgical procedures did not reach significance.

Background and objectives We have evaluated the training capacity of the Spanish resident training book as an electronic portfolio to achieve the learning objectives of otorhinolaryngology (ENT) residents. Methods A multi-method qualitative investigation with transversal characteristics, temporal and retrospective guidance was performed on Spanish ENT residents using a structured questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and a computer application on the FORMIR website. Results A 56.5% of ENT-residents specialising in one of the 63 accredited Spanish hospitals between 2009 and 2012 participated in the study. The results obtained show that the ENT residents who used the e-portfolio were better able to implement self-guided study, were more aware of their learning objectives, fulfilled the training programme more efficiently, identified the causes of learning gaps more clearly, and considered FORMIR in e-portfolio format to be an ideal training tool to replace the resident training book in paper format. Conclusions The ENT residents greatly appreciated the training benefits of FORMIR as an e-portfolio, especially its simple and intuitive interface, the ease and comfort with which they could record their activities, the automatic and numeric feedback on the acquisition of their competencies (which facilitates self-guided learning), its storage capacity for evidence, and its ability to be used as UEMS logbook as well as a standard curriculum vitae. All these features make FORMIR a training and evaluation tool that outperforms similar instruments available to ENT residents. They do not hesitate to identify it as the ideal resident training book for facilitating their specialised training.

Nowadays, endoscopic endonasal expanded approach targeting for the clival lower third is well described in literature. Nonetheless, great variations can be found among surgical groups, specially during the earlier stages of this procedure. We present a step by step description of the clival lower third approach until entering the dural space, setting its bony limits. We describe the basipharyngeal flap tailoring as a helpful option for latter reconstruction. The study of cadaveric specimens adds clarifying dissections. The expansion in the coronal plane is providential in most of the intradural lesions of the inferior clivus. Basipharyngeal flap may help seal the surgical defects in this area.

The high variability of sinonasal anatomy requires the best knowledge of its three-dimensional (3D) conformation to perform surgery more safely and efficiently. The aim of the study was to validate the utility of Osirix® and stereolithography in improving endoscopic sinonasal surgery planning.Osirix® was used as a viewer and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3D imaging manager to improve planning for 114 sinonasal endoscopic operations with polyposis (86) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) (28). Stereolithography rapid prototyping was used for 7 frontoethmoidal mucoceles.Using Osirix® and stereolithography, a greater number of anatomical structures were identified and this was done faster, with a statistically-significant clinical-radiological correlation (P.01) compared with 2D CT plates. With a share of more than 75% of surgery performed by residents, surgical time was reduced by 38±12.3min in CRS and 42±27.9 in sinonasal polyposis. The fourth-year residents reached 100% surgical competence in critical surgical milestones with 16 surgeries (CI 12-19).The systematic use of Osirix® for visualisation and treatment of 3D sinonasal images from DICOM data files, along with the surgical team's ability to manipulate them as virtual reality, allows surgeons to perform endoscopic sinonasal surgery with greater confidence and in less time than using 2D images. Residents also achieve surgical competence faster, more safely and with fewer complications. This beneficial impact is increased when the surgical team has stereolithography rapid prototyping in more complex cases.