Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025
Use of a Rat Model to Study Ventral Abdominal Hernia Repair
Published on: October 2, 2017
Training model in abdominal wall endoscopic surgery for ventral hernias. Extended totally extra-peritoneal approach
Mauricio Andrade Azevedo1, Heitor Marcio Gavião Santos2, Guilherme Blattner Torres de Oliveira3
1PhD. Department of Gastrosurgery - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil.
Purpose:
To develop a reproducible training program model covering the steps of the extended totally extraperitoneal approach (e-tep) technique for correction of ventral or incisional hernia repair.
Methods:
Training sessions with surgeons in the laboratory using both porcine specimens and a new ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) model simulating the operative steps of the e-tep technique. Students were interviewed and asked to answer a questionnaire pre and post the sessions to assess their performance and evaluated the course and model.
Results:
A total of 25 trained abdominal wall surgeons was evaluated at the end of the course. It was obtained a 100% satisfaction score of the training, as well as increased confidence levels up to 9 and 10 in all technical aspects of the surgery, having 96% of the surgeons performed a surgery under supervision of the proctors after the course.
Conclusions:
This training model is simple, effective, low cost, and replicable in guidance on the beginning of e-tep technique adoption, and performance. As a result, surgeons can get more confident and more able to perform surgeries employing this technique.
