Northwestern Center for Advanced Surgical Education (NCASE)
The Mission of the
Northwestern Center for Advanced Surgical Education is to
“establish a multidisciplinary center of excellence for the advancement of education and research to improve upon clinical
skills that enhance surgical practices and technologies, decrease medical errors and thereby improve patient care.” In doing so,
the
faculty and staff at N-CASE (a member of the Northwestern
McGaw Simulation Network) has established itself as a frontrunner in education, training, and research.
The N-CASE center spans approximately 5,200 square feet. This includes a 1,000 square foot Wet Lab, an 800 square foot Dry Lab,
a technical skills lab and a Minimally Invasive Surgery training facility. Nursing students, physician assistants, medical students,
residents and physicians alike utilize the resources at N-CASE in order to learn and enhance skills.
The inanimate technical skills lab includes 4 inanimate skills stations where trainees can develop surgical skills aided by laparoscopic
video equipment; 4 virtual reality simulators that provide computer simulation of real anatomical systems - trainees can perform operations
on simulated systems and observe the effects in real time; Mist-VR; ProMIS by Haptica; GI-Mentor & Angio-Mentor by Simbionix; 4 computer
work stations; Trauma Man; and Emergency Care Simulator by METI.
Within the surgical training area, there are 6 operating room stations accompanied with the same video equipment available in the
operating room on cadaver or live specimens. There is also 1 operating room used for
telerobotic surgery training.
During their Surgical Clerkship, third-year medical students from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine learn essential
skills such as phlebotomy, IV catheterization, suturing, ABI and neurological examinations. In addition, 3rd year students in the
General Surgery rotation learn sterile technique and basic surgical skills at N-CASE.
Using a variety of skills training simulators, the General Surgery Residency curriculum focuses on the most basic surgical skills
with junior residents, basic laparoscopy sessions for mid-level residents and advance laparoscopy sessions for senior residents.
There are additional training sessions during which simulators are used in order to enhance residents’ technical skills in thoracentesis,
central line placement, intubation and trauma-related procedures.
There are numerous
research projects currently being
conducted by N-CASE faculty, including but not limited to the Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (N.O.T.E.S.) -
conducted by Drs. Nathaniel Soper and Eric Hungness; Physical Examination model development and assessment – conducted by Dr. Carla Pugh; and Instrument Development – in collaboration
with the Northwestern University Engineering Department, as well as several other projects.
In accordance with the center’s motto, “Safer Surgery today, Better Surgery Tomorrow,” N-CASE is steadfast in its effort to further
the development and quality of education in medicine. Presently, N-CASE is evaluating the curriculum for minimally invasive surgery,
while implications of a regular curriculum involving telerobotic training surgery is also underway (budget and curriculum are still
in exploratory stages).
N-CASE has
partnerships with several organizations which help to support the facility
(by providing equipment or monetary support) including STORZ, Dell, Tyco Healthcare, Autosuture, Valleylab, Stryker, Ethicon Endo-Surgery,
Inc. and Power Medical Interventions. Internal funding from Northwestern Memorial Hospital supports the facility’s faculty and staff,
while Federal grants and private endowments fund several research projects.
N-CASE continues to establish itself as a facility at the forefront of surgical training. This reputation has fostered the
development of several relationships with top surgical societies. The facility has recently been established as a regional
test site for the
Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), a curriculum recently developed by
The Society of American Gastrintestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). Additionally, N-CASE
recently applied for Level 1 Comprehensive Education Institute accreditation with the
American College of
Surgeons (ACS). This accreditation
will facilitate the development of unparalleled training programs that focus on the teaching, learning and assessment of technical
skills in all stages of surgical education.