Novel mouse model for simulating microsurgical tumor excision with facial nerve preservation

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Oncology
• Microsurgery

Background:

• Microsurgical skills are crucial for otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS).
• Effective training tools are needed to simulate complex procedures like tumor extirpation with nerve preservation.
• Current training models may lack realism or cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of a mouse tumor model for OHNS microsurgical training.
• To assess the model's utility in simulating tumor excision while preserving facial nerves.
• To gather trainee feedback on the model's realism, usefulness, and difficulty.

Main Methods:

• Athymic nude mice were injected with human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (A431 cell line).
• Tumor growth was monitored for 1-3 weeks post-injection.
• Ten OHNS trainees performed tumor excision using a dissecting microscope, focusing on facial nerve preservation.
• Trainees rated task parameters (texture, realism, usefulness, difficulty) via visual analogue scale (VAS).

Main Results:

• Tumors reached measurable size (0.5-1.5 cm) within 1-3 weeks, displacing facial nerves.
• High VAS scores indicated positive trainee perceptions: tumor texture (8.1), surgical realism (7.7), usefulness (9.0), and appropriate difficulty (6.6).

Conclusions:

• A novel, reliable, and cost-effective mouse model for microsurgical tumor extirpation training was established.
• The model effectively simulates tumor removal with critical neural structure preservation.
• OHNS trainees perceived the model as realistic, beneficial, and suitably challenging for skill development.