Although video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) offers advantages over open thoracotomy, access to structured VATS training remains limited in resource-limited settings. To address this gap, researchers developed the Simulation Model of an Affordable and Realistic Trainer for VATS (SMART-VATS), a low-cost hybrid simulator for teaching fundamental lung resection skills. The study evaluated SMART-VATS in 51 residents and 23 senior doctors. Participants performed simulated uniportal or multiportal lobectomies over seven training sessions.

The setup combined post-mortem sheep heart, lungs, and trachea with a hemithorax-shaped box trainer. Colored hydrogel injected into the pulmonary vessels helped trainees identify vascular structures. Anatomical realism and feasibility were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, alongside expert-led performance assessments. The simulation achieved a 77%…