Precision additive manufacturing for pediatric minimally invasive surgery training in congenital gastrointestinal malformations: technologies, materials, workflow, and future perspectives: a narrative review
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and National Institute of Children’s Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
- 2Department of Graphic Design and Engineering Projects, Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
- 3Biomedical Engineering and Measurement Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovakia
- 4Department of Paediatric Surgery, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Motol and Homolka University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- 5Institute of Medical Education and Simulations, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- 6Department of Surgical Oncology of St. Elizabeth Cancer Institute and Medical Faculty of Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Abstract
BackgroundPediatric minimally invasive surgery (MIS) simulators for congenital gastrointestinal malformations is technically demanding because of limited operative space, delicate tissues, and the rarity of these conditions. Consequently, opportunities for structured skills acquisition remain scarce, creating a need for realistic and reproducible simulation platforms. Precision additive manufacturing offers new possibilities for developing high-fidelity surgical simulators tailored to pediatric procedures.MethodsA structured narrative review was conducted. PRISMA 2020 reporting principles were used solely to improve transparency in study identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion; the review was not designed as a systematic or scoping review. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for studies addressing additive manufacturing technologies, tissue-mimicking materials, pediatric MIS simulation, congenital gastrointestinal malformations, and simulator validation. Three authors screened records and extracted data collaboratively using predefined criteria and a standardized framework. Relevant evidence was synthesized narratively.ResultsForty-six studies were included. Current evidence demonstrates that additive manufacturing enables anatomically accurate, reproducible, and increasingly patient-specific simulators. Hybrid approaches combining high-resolution 3D printing with silicone or other tissue-mimicking materials provide a favorable compromise between realism, durability, and cost. Pathology-specific simulators, particularly for esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, have shown encouraging face, content, and construct validity, with improvements in technical performance following simulation-based training. However, objective assessment metrics, transfer validity, and multicenter validation remain limited.ConclusionsPrecision additive manufacturing represents a promising strategy for pediatric MIS education. Future efforts should focus on improved tissue realism, objective performance assessment, standardized validation frameworks, and demonstration of transfer of skills to clinical practice to support safer and more effective surgical training.
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BibTeX
@article{petra2026precision,
title = {{Precision additive manufacturing for pediatric minimally invasive surgery training in congenital gastrointestinal malformations: technologies, materials, workflow, and future perspectives: a narrative review}},
author = {Zahradníková Petra and Tejo-Otero Aitor and Sándor Klin and Kučerová Barbora and Hnilicová Silvia and Dytter Daniel and Durdík Štefan and Babala Jozef and Hudák Radovan},
journal = {Frontiers in Pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fped.2026.1949029},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2026.1949029},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Precision additive manufacturing for pediatric minimally invasive surgery training in congenital gastrointestinal malformations: technologies, materials, workflow, and future perspectives: a narrative review
AU - Zahradníková Petra
AU - Tejo-Otero Aitor
AU - Sándor Klin
AU - Kučerová Barbora
AU - Hnilicová Silvia
AU - Dytter Daniel
AU - Durdík Štefan
AU - Babala Jozef
AU - Hudák Radovan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Frontiers in Pediatrics
DO - 10.3389/fped.2026.1949029
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2026.1949029
AB - BackgroundPediatric minimally invasive surgery (MIS) simulators for congenital gastrointestinal malformations is technically demanding because of limited operative space, delicate tissues, and the rarity of these conditions. Consequently, opportunities for structured skills acquisition remain scarce, creating a need for realistic and reproducible simulation platforms. Precision additive manufacturing offers new possibilities for developing high-fidelity surgical simulators tailored to pediatric procedures.MethodsA structured narrative review was conducted. PRISMA 2020 reporting principles were used solely to improve transparency in study identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion; the review was not designed as a systematic or scoping review. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for studies addressing additive manufacturing technologies, tissue-mimicking materials, pediatric MIS simulation, congenital gastrointestinal malformations, and simulator validation. Three authors screened records and extracted data collaboratively using predefined criteria and a standardized framework. Relevant evidence was synthesized narratively.ResultsForty-six studies were included. Current evidence demonstrates that additive manufacturing enables anatomically accurate, reproducible, and increasingly patient-specific simulators. Hybrid approaches combining high-resolution 3D printing with silicone or other tissue-mimicking materials provide a favorable compromise between realism, durability, and cost. Pathology-specific simulators, particularly for esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, have shown encouraging face, content, and construct validity, with improvements in technical performance following simulation-based training. However, objective assessment metrics, transfer validity, and multicenter validation remain limited.ConclusionsPrecision additive manufacturing represents a promising strategy for pediatric MIS education. Future efforts should focus on improved tissue realism, objective performance assessment, standardized validation frameworks, and demonstration of transfer of skills to clinical practice to support safer and more effective surgical training.
SN - 2296-2360
ER -