Development of an Endovascular Training Model for Simulation of Evar Procedures Using 3D Rapid Prototyping for the Production of Exchangeable Patient Specific Anatomic Models

A Systematic Review of Simulation-Based Training in Vascular Surgery

“…Results: Overall 76 eligible articles validated 34 vascular surgery simulators and training courses for open and endovascular procedures. High validity ratings were achieved across studies for: content (35), response processes (12), the internal structure (5), relations to other variables (57), and consequences (2). Only seven studies achieved an LoE greater than 3/5.…”

“…This is due to increasingly more endovascular procedures being conducted, with over half of aortic aneurysms in Europe now being treated by endovascular repair. 5 These relatively new treatment methods require additional skills to be acquired. Furthermore, some studies have shown that vascular trainees experience fewer teaching opportunities for endovascular procedures than for open surgery, leading to a requirement for alternative teaching methods.…”

“…8,9 In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on simulation as a surgical training tool to achieve the same level of competency and maintain patient safety. 10 Due to the rise in endovascular procedures, which are known to offer improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital stay compared to open vascular procedures, 5,11 there will be a subsequent rise in high-fidelity simulators utilized for training. Despite this, there is possibly an even greater demand for open simulators due to the requirement for junior trainees to safely practice common open procedures such as arterial anastomosis and additionally for senior trainees to undertake crisis management in a simulated operating theater.…”

Quality assurance in 3D-printing: A dimensional accuracy study of patient-specific 3D-printed vascular anatomical models

“…Medical 3D printing (M3DP) is an emerging technology that refers to the fabrication of anatomical structures from volumetric datasets such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images as hand-held models of patient anatomy and pathology (1). Clinical applications of M3DP range from advanced visualisation of anatomical structures and pathologies for diagnostic purposes, to enhancing patient education and physician-patient communication, research, design and testing of patient-specific implants and surgical guides, as well as providing realistic, patient-matched models for advanced surgical planning, simulation, and training (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). While surgical procedural planning has benefitted immensely from the increased fidelity of radiographic imaging and virtual 3D reconstructions, M3DP allows previously unattained true-to-patient tactile feedback to assist in key pre-operative planning, including patient-specific pre-operative surgical simulation (8).…”

Development and Initial Characterisation of a Localised Elastin Degradation Ex Vivo Porcine Aortic Aneurysm Model

“…However, it does not replicate the dilation nor the stiffening seen in AA [31]. While synthetic models can accurately replicate the geometric features of aneurysms, the materials used poorly replicate the compliance and rupture properties of arterial tissues [20,[32][33][34][35]. Currently available tissue engineered in vitro models are more suited to studies of aneurysm pathophysiology and have not yet been manufactured on a scale suitable for endovascular device testing [36][37][38].…”