Porcine model and oncoplastic training: results and reflections

Abstract

T he breast cancer surgery needs a specific formation in oncoplastic and reconstructive procedures that enable the mastologist to train it before its performance in humans 1-4 . This formation needs a training model whose anatomic and technical bases are similar to those of humans, for reproducing the most complex surgical procedures step by step. The porcine model is an option for this formative need due to its anatomic similarity with human beings, manageability of young models and provided cost 4 . Thus, its use has facilitated the formation in different scopes of the digestive, cardiovascular and organ transplant surgeries. However, the proposal of a training based on animal model needs a critical analysis of its anatomical agreement with human beings, its economical and ethical viability, and its assessment by students. I will try to discuss these aspects in this editorial based on my experience in training surgeons and mastologists for the last 15 years in Spain and Latin America, to analyze what has been the contribution of the porcine model in the acquisition of technical skills and their use in the clinical practice. Thus, I will discuss the ethical conflicts that arise from the use of non-human animals in the surgical training to analyze their justification and future alternatives.

Validation of an in vivo porcine simulation model of pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap elevation

“…The live pig is a favorable model for reconstructive microsurgery flap elevation over other models due to its large size and similarity to human anatomy [11][12][13][14]. In a step towards achieving validation of the live pig as a training model in reconstructive microsurgery training, the aim of this research was to investigate trainees' perceptions (face and content validity) as well as skill acquisition (construct validity) of an in vivo porcine simulation training model for a classical flap, namely, the pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap.…”