A case report: An aortobifemoral bypass implant found during cadaver dissection promotes inquiry-based learning

An unusual vascular implant found during routine cadaver dissection influenced instructors and students to learn more about the underlying disease and the surgical technique used to treat this disorder triggering an inquiry-based learning.

This report describes a case of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with an aortobifemoral arterial bypass implant that was never found before in any of the previously dissected cadavers at Gannon University.

PAD develops due to impaired blood flow to the lower extremities that causes numbness, weakness, and lower leg pain. The treatments can aim to improve the long-term cardiovascular outcomes. If therapeutic medications do not improve outcomes of PAD, revascularization by endovascular repair or aortofemoral bypass grafting is considered.

We would like to note that accidental discoveries of pathologies or surgical procedures during routine cadaveric dissections present a unique possibility for inquiry-based learning among future healthcare providers.