Teaching three-dimensional surgical concepts of inguinal hernia in a time-effective manner using a two-dimensional paper-cut

Background Because inguinal hernia repair is difficult for third-year students to comprehend, a 2-dimensional paper-cut was developed to teach the concepts of inguinal hernia in a time-effective manner before studentsʹ observation of herniorrhaphy in the operating room. Methods Using Adobe Illustrator 5.5 for MacIntosh, a 2-dimensional inexpensively printed paper-cut was created to allow students to perform their own simulated hernia repair before observing surgery. The exercise was performed using a no. 15 scalpel or an iris scissors and was evaluated by comparing 10-question pre-tests and post-tests. Results Seventy-five students performed the exercise, most completing it within 15 minutes. The mean pre-test score was 7.4/10 and the mean post-test score was 9.1/10. Students performing the paper-cut reported better understanding when observing actual herniorrhaphy. Conclusions A 2-dimensional paper-cut (“surgical origami”) may be a time-effective method to prepare students for the observation of hernia repair.