Piglet Model for Modified Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Shunt Training

The Blalock-Taussig-Thomas shunt is one of the milestone procedures in cardiac surgery and a crucial operation for palliating blue babies. It is currently impractical to train new surgeons on infants even under the supervision of their mentors. A realistic training model for location, exposure, tissue toughness, and texture is required. The objective of this study was to determine whether the model is realistic and practical and to evaluate the quality of anastomosis performed by surgical trainees.

Piglet heart and lung models were selected from piglets of 3 to 5 kg. Six cardiothoracic surgical residents participated in the program and performed the procedure. Subsequently, every trainee answered a standard questionnaire in terms of satisfaction in reality and practicality; the trainers evaluated the quality of the anastomosis. The median score of each item was analyzed and described. The quality of anastomosis was evaluated and analyzed similarly.

Median scores of satisfaction (14 questions) were 9, 10, 9, 9.5, 10, 9.5, 10, 9.5, 10, 8.5, 10, 8.5, 10, and 8. Median challenge scores (6 questions) were 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9.5, and 10. The median anastomosis evaluation score from 6 trainees was 25 (24-25).

Our heart-lung simulation model is perhaps 1 of the most realistic simulations in practicality, visualization, exposure of the related structures, similar scenes to the real operation, and sense of touch and texture. Realistic models should be developed, but they should be inexpensive.