Blue-Blood Pig Thorax Model Increases Residents' Confidence in Internal Mammary Dissection

Area of Science:

• Microsurgery
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education

Background:

• Autologous breast reconstruction requires recipient vessel preparation, offering limited intraoperative resident training opportunities.
• The Blue-Blood-infused porcine chest wall simulator is a novel, cost-effective ($55) tool for internal mammary artery (IMA) dissection and anastomosis training.
• This simulator aims to improve resident comfort, safety, and expertise in IMA procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Blue-Blood porcine chest wall model on resident confidence in IMA dissection and anastomosis.
• To gather resident and faculty feedback on the model's realism and utility in surgical training.

Main Methods:

• Plastic surgery residents and microsurgery faculty participated in training sessions led by an expert microsurgeon.
• Participants completed pre- and post-session surveys assessing confidence, model realism, and utility on a five-point scale.
• Anonymized surveys were used to measure changes in trainee confidence and perceptions of the simulator.

Main Results:

• All participants reported improved confidence in at least one key procedural step after training.
• The majority of experienced participants found the model's anatomy and procedural performance highly realistic compared to human procedures.
• 100% of participants believed the model would enhance surgical performance and recommended its integration into the training curriculum.

Conclusions:

• The Blue-Blood porcine chest wall simulator demonstrably increases trainee confidence in critical IMA dissection and anastomosis steps.
• Both residents and faculty perceive the simulator as a valuable tool for microsurgical training.
• The simulator offers a realistic and effective method for improving surgical skills in breast reconstruction.