Seoul National University Hospital Opens Surgical Simulation & Innovation Laboratory... Full-scale Simulation-Based Training Begins
- Establishment of the First Dedicated Surgery Skills Training Facility in Korea... Creation of a Top-Tier Simulation Training Environment
- Based on advanced equipment such as robots, laparoscopy, and endoscopes, Systematizing surgical skills training for residents and specialists
[Photo1] Attendees have a commemorative photo at the opening ceremony of Surgical Simulation & Innovation Laboratory (SSIL). Sponsor Yeoung-sul Lee (6th from the left) and Jin-young Jang, Director of the department of surgery (7th from the left)
[Image] Interior view of SSIL. Surgical training equipment, including robotic, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgery simulators, is installed.
On the 13th, Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) held the opening ceremony for its new surgical skills training center, the ‘Surgical Simulation & Innovation Laboratory (SSIL),’ announcing the launch of its advanced simulation-based surgical skills training infrastructure. The SSIL is the first facility in Korea dedicated exclusively to a single surgical department, designed as a professional education space to systematically strengthen the technical proficiency of residents and medical staff.
SSIL, which recently opened on the 5th floor of the Biomedical Research Institute, is designed to enable repetitive learning and evaluation under conditions similar to an actual clinical environment. A key feature of the laboratory is its focus on enabling surgeons to achieve high levels of technical proficiency during the pre-operative stage.
The laboratory is equipped with a wide array of cutting-edge educational tools, including robotic surgery consoles and simulators, laparoscopic and endoscopic simulators, ultrasound machines, and vascular anastomosis training equipment. Trainees undergo precise surgical practice and step-by-step evaluations prior to performing surgery on actual patients, allowing them to experience a safer process of acquiring surgical skills.
The SSIL operates as an integrated education and training space utilized by not only residents but also fellows, specialists, and faculty. It plans to provide educational programs that gradually expand from basic techniques to highly advanced procedures, supporting the standardization of surgical skills and the introduction of new surgical technologies.
Beyond providing access to equipment, this laboratory will also focus its operations on 'hands-on training' led directly by faculty members. It aims to substantially improve the quality of surgical resident education through a standardized curriculum and a step-by-step evaluation system.
[Photo 2] A surgery resident receives surgical skills training using a robotic surgery simulator at SSIL.
[Photo 3] Faculty members demonstrate surgical skills using a laparoscopic surgery simulator at SSIL.
The SSIL is expected to become a core infrastructure that elevates the quality of surgical education to a new level. Based on the nation's best educational environment, it is expected to minimize risk factors during the pre-operative education phase and contribute to patient safety and improved surgical outcomes.
The impact is already being felt on the ground. A surgery resident stated, “Surgery preparation training has become much more systematized as we can experience various surgical environments, such as robotic and laparoscopic procedures, in a realistic manner, and repeatedly check surgical skills and receive feedback during the pre-operative stage.”
Jin-young Jang(Director of the Department of Surgery) stated, “The Surgical Simulation & Innovation Laboratory will serve as a space to establish new standards for resident education. In the future, we will gradually expand beyond resident training to include fellowship and specialist education, developing it into a core educational infrastructure that enhances patient safety and surgical outcomes based on improved surgical capabilities.”
Meanwhile, this laboratory was established based on donations from various sponsors, including sponsor Lee Young-sul. SNUH plans to continuously expand its cutting-edge educational infrastructure based on a stable clinical and educational system, and will steadily continue to foster talent and innovate education in the field of surgery, a core specialty of essential medical care.