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Residents and patients benefit from surgical simulation on a live porcine model, could we consider it as ethical?
T Prudhomme1, X Matillon2, F Dengu3
1Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU de Nantes, 44093 Nantes, France; Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie (CRTI), UMR1064, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France; Department of Urology, Kidney Transplantation and Andrology, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France.
Introduction:
The objective was to evaluate, by self-questionnaire, the feeling of participants in surgical training sessions on a live porcine model.
Methods:
A computerized questionnaire (GoogleForm ©) was sent to the members of the French Association of Urologists-in-Training (AFUF) (fellows and residents). Only questionnaires from Urologists-in-training who had participated in surgical training sessions were included. The sessions consisted of performing surgeries such as laparoscopic nephrectomies or laparoscopic cystectomies.
Results:
Overall, 198 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 36.4% (72/198) of the participants were fellows and 63.6% (126/198) were residents. According to the participants, the main interest of sessions was to be able to train for emergency situations. A total of 79.8% (158/198) of the participants wanted surgical simulation to become compulsory. To their opinion, the main advantage of surgical simulation on a live porcine model was: technical progress in 87.4% (173/198) of cases. A total of 13.1% (26/198) of the participants found it was unethical to perform the first technical procedures on live animal models. A total of 65.7% (130/198) of the participants considered that there is currently no system of substitution.
Conclusion:
For the participants, surgical training on a live porcine model allows technical progress while training for serious emergency situations. Surgeons and patients could benefit from this risk-free mock surgical scenario.
Level Of Evidence:
3.
