TY - JOUR

T1 - Post-graduate teaching in microsurgery using a combination of alternative non-animal and in vivo methods

AU - Bollen, Peter J.A.

AU - Remie, René

AU - Kloots, Willem

AU - Barfred, Lis

AU - Salomon, Søren

AU - Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - Over recent years alternative, non-animal methods have been developed for use in microsurgical training courses, for the training of suture techniques, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Nevertheless, it is still hard to imagine that alternative methods will be able to replace in vivo teaching completely, because properties of biological tissue are different from those of latex or other artificial materials. Also the dynamics of biological processes, such as a pulsating bloodstream, are difficult to simulate in alternative models. However, the number of animals used in microsurgical training courses can be limited by combining non-animal methods with in vivo training. Moreover, individual techniques can be improved greatly by using non-animal methods. In a five-day introductory course in microsurgical and experimental techniques at the Biomedical Laboratory, University of Southern Denmark, we have limited the average number of animals to one rat per day per participant, by using alternative non-animal methods extensively on the first course day. Nearly all participants were able to produce a successful end-to-end anastomosis of the femoral artery during the second or third day of the course. The alternative methods used included a training device for microsurgical anastomosis and the MD PVC-Rat, an artificial rat with life-size latex abdominal vessels.

AB - Over recent years alternative, non-animal methods have been developed for use in microsurgical training courses, for the training of suture techniques, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Nevertheless, it is still hard to imagine that alternative methods will be able to replace in vivo teaching completely, because properties of biological tissue are different from those of latex or other artificial materials. Also the dynamics of biological processes, such as a pulsating bloodstream, are difficult to simulate in alternative models. However, the number of animals used in microsurgical training courses can be limited by combining non-animal methods with in vivo training. Moreover, individual techniques can be improved greatly by using non-animal methods. In a five-day introductory course in microsurgical and experimental techniques at the Biomedical Laboratory, University of Southern Denmark, we have limited the average number of animals to one rat per day per participant, by using alternative non-animal methods extensively on the first course day. Nearly all participants were able to produce a successful end-to-end anastomosis of the femoral artery during the second or third day of the course. The alternative methods used included a training device for microsurgical anastomosis and the MD PVC-Rat, an artificial rat with life-size latex abdominal vessels.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=27644478829&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:27644478829

VL - 32

SP - 183

EP - 187

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science

SN - 0901-3393

IS - 3

ER -