Establishing a Lymphatic Venous Anastomotic Training Model in Pig Trotters

Lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) is a widely accepted surgical procedure for lymphedema. To obtain the best outcomes, surgeons should be well trained. A recent study introduced an LVA training model using pig trotters for their utility and structural similarity to human tissues. However, details regarding the utilization of anastomosis models, such as feasible points for training based on vessel anatomy, have not been clarified. Therefore, we assessed the anatomical details of lymphatic vessels and veins of trotters to establish a practical training model of LVA.

Ten frozen trotters were used. After thawing at room temperature, indocyanine green fluorescent lymphography was used to visualize the lymphatic course. To dissect the lymphatic vessels and veins from the distal to the proximal end, whole skins were detached thoroughly from the plantar side. Data from the lymphatic vessels and veins were collected based on their courses, diameters, and layouts to clarify adjacent points feasible for LVA training.

Both lymphatic vessels and veins were classified into four major courses: dorsal, medial, lateral, and plantar. The majority were dorsal vessels, both lymphatic vessels and veins. The adjacent points were always found in the distal dorsum center and were especially concentrated between the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint and central interphalangeal crease, followed by the medial and lateral sides.

The most relevant point for LVA surgical training in the trotter was the dorsal center distal to the MP joint, where parallel vessels of similar sizes were found in all cases. This practical LVA surgical model would improve surgeon skills in not only anastomosis but also preoperative fluorescent lymphography.