Fresh human neck dissection specimens as vascular models for head and neck microsurgery training

Area of Science:

• Microsurgery
• Surgical Education
• Anatomical Modeling

Background:

• Microsurgical techniques demand high precision and minimal invasiveness.
• Existing animal and cadaver models have limitations in replicating realistic surgical scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel microsurgery training models using discarded human neck dissection specimens.
• To compare the efficacy of these new models against traditional training methods.

Main Methods:

• Human neck dissection specimens were utilized, with latex perfusion for dissection and synthetic blood for anastomosis models.
• Twenty-four head and neck tumor surgeons (experts and surgeons) trained on the models.
• Participants evaluated the models using questionnaires based on the MiSSES, with statistical analysis via the Mann-Whitney U test.

Main Results:

• Specimens featured suitable submental vessel diameters (artery: 1.75 ± 0.10 mm; vein: 1.56 ± 0.14 mm) for microsurgical practice.
• Both expert and surgeon groups rated the dissection and anastomosis models highly, with no significant differences in evaluations.
• Experts scored specimen models significantly higher than chicken wings for skill improvement, independent performance, environmental accuracy, and challenge simulation.

Conclusions:

• Fresh neck dissection specimen models provide an economical, high-fidelity, and accessible alternative for head and neck microsurgery training.
• These models effectively enhance skills for both medical students and practicing surgeons.
• The developed models represent a significant advancement in surgical simulation for microsurgical procedures.