ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

2003, VOLUME 1

Totally Artificial Training Model for Coronary Heart Surgery: the End of Animal Experiments?

Oliver Reuthebuch¹, Dörthe Schmidt¹, Axel Lang², Peter Groscurth² and Marko Turina¹

¹Klinik für Herz-und Gefässchirurgie, UniversitätsSpital, CH-Zürich; ²Institut für Anatomie, Universität Zürich, CH-Zürich

SUMMARY

Aim: Animal protection laws will lead to stricter and more selective criteria thus resulting in a decline of available animals. Yet to train cardiac surgical skills a totally artificial training model was developed.

Description of training model: The model is based on differently hardened polyurethane. Cover is a 1:1 replica of the human thoracic wall. Disposable coronaries are integrated in the heart-model. Vessels and part of the ascending aorta can be rinsed. By means of a newly designed air-pump stroke volume, heart-rate and rhythm can be adjusted.

Experiences: Set-up of the model is easy and quick. Accustomed instruments can be used. Handling of artificial tissue is nature-like. Degree of difficulty is dependent on stroke volume, heart rate, arrhythmia, vessel-size and vessel-quality.

Conclusion: The phantom helps to achieve confidence in coronary revascularisation. It facilitates an accompanying training for the less-trained as well as the skilled surgeon. The nature-like characteristics will help to reduce animal experiments in future.

Keywords: coronary disease, surgery, off-pump, training model