Aboud E. Live cadavers as an alternative model for laboratory surgical training [abstract]. ALTEX. 2009;26(Special Issue):222. Abstract 393


Abstract

Laboratory surgical training in both human and veterinary surgery is important in refining skills and preparing residents and young surgeons for the operating room experience. Often live, healthy animals are used for this propose. Here we describe an alternative model for veterinary and human surgical training utilizing ethically-obtained cadavers specially prepared as follows: A portion or a whole cadaver can be used. The major vessels are cannulated and connected to artificial blood reservoirs. The arterial side is further connected to a machine that provides pulsating pressure. A pressure of 120 mm Hg is applied to the arterial side, and a pressure of around 15 mm Hg is applied to the venous side. Serum bags work well as blood reservoirs, and pressure bags are used to apply and adjust the pressure. With this arrangement, the artificial blood will fill and circulate inside the vessels, providing a cadaver specimen that can bleed and arteries that can pulsate. All kinds of surgical procedures can be applied to this model, including endoscopic and endovas-cular procedures. Trainees can make skin incisions and suture the incision site, dissect soft oozing tissues, ligate and coagulate bleeding vessels, and practice vascular anastomosis or intestinal anastomosis, transplantations, angiograms, etc. Implementing this model into the teaching curriculum will help eliminate the harmful and fatal use of animals for surgical training in both human and veterinary practice.

United States Patent No US 6,790,043 B2. Sep 2004
 





Link to journal: ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation