Abstract TP105: Neurointervention Simulation Workshop for Neurology Residents

Background: Endovascular Thrombectomy is now standard of care and widely used treatment for large vessel occlusion strokes in appropriately selected patients. Neurology Residents have minimal exposure to formal neuro-interventional procedures which may lead to limited technical understanding and comfort in discussing the procedure with patient and interdisciplinary teams.

Methods: A prospective quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest study was conducted. Participants included 18 Neurology Residents in a standardized simulation of endovascular thrombectomy procedure using a flow model supervised a neuro-interventionalist followed by a debriefing session. Questionnaire included items on technical knowledge of endovascular thrombectomy as well as assessment of subjective comfort related to procedure and consent process. Responses were analyzed using Pearson coefficient.

Results: On a 10-point Likert scale, median score for trainee comfort in discussing endovascular thrombectomy with patient/family and stroke attending increased from 5 to 8 (p < 0.05) and 4 to 7 (p < 0.05) respectively. Residents also reported improvement in procedural understanding with median score of 7 following simulation compared to 2 prior (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Observable enhancements in procedural comprehension, accompanied by increased subjective comfort in engaging in discussions concerning the endovascular thrombectomy procedure with patients and/or their family members, were clearly identified among Neurology Residents following their engagement in simulation-based training. The utilization of neuro-interventional simulation presents a promising avenue for complementing the skill development of trainees involved in the management of patients with acute large vessel occlusion, who are being evaluated for potential mechanical thrombectomy interventions.