A Novel Approach Using a Silicone Tube to Assist Microsurgical Anastomosis Training in Animal Models

Abstract

Various reconstructive surgical procedures depend on the achievement of a patent microvascular anastomosis. Achieving clinical competency in this refined skill can begin with intensive training on live animal models. The early training stage can be stressful for novices as the rat vessels used during microvascular anastomosis training courses are often too small and too fragile for novices to optimally maintain the vascular lumen. In this paper, the authors discuss a silicone tube that provides structural support to vessels throughout the entire precarious suturing process. This modification of the conventional microvascular anastomosis technique may facilitate initial skill acquisition using the rat model.imitate the relationship of blood flow, tissue response, and time in human vessels, is valuable to the trainee as well. A previous study done by Wei FC, et al. showed that the insertion of a stent or silicone tube may not produce more complications to the intima than the conventional dilatation manipulation with forceps [7]. Thus, we believe this novel exercise can help students more easily visualize the lumen, avoid back wall stitches, and ultimately, build their confidence to progressively advance from non-living to living animal models with small size blood vessels. CONCLUSIONThe authors note that this method should only be served as an intermediate step for microsurgery trainees who have difficulty in transitioning from non-living to living model during an intensive, fast-paced training curriculum.Using our proposed model, patency was evident in Video (https://youtu.be/ WCmwD5CMfDw).