A Novel Pulsatile Excised Porcine Lung Model for Realistic Anatomic Lung Resection Training: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education

Background:

• Traditional excised lung models for training suffer from pulmonary edema due to simulated perfusion.
• Developing realistic simulation models is crucial for improving surgical skills in anatomical lung resection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel pulsatile porcine lung model for anatomical lung resection training.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional models, specifically pulmonary edema.
• To provide a realistic simulation of pulmonary artery pulsation during training.

Main Methods:

• Porcine heart-lung complexes were connected to a pulse generator for physiologic pulsation using pseudoblood.
• Pulmonary arteries were prefilled with microbeads to prevent parenchymal perfusion and reduce pulmonary edema.
• Eight surgical trainees performed lobectomy and vascular repair, with operative time and hemostatic proficiency assessed.

Main Results:

• Microbead infusion significantly reduced pulmonary edema (16.4g vs 457.0g weight gain).
• Surgical time for lobectomy decreased significantly (mean reduction of 6 min 25 s).
• 75% of trainees found vascular manipulation realistic; all rated the training beneficial.

Conclusions:

• The pulsatile porcine lung model is a reproducible platform for simulating pulmonary vessel dissection and hemostasis.
• This model effectively reduces pulmonary edema, enhancing its utility for surgical training.
• Pilot study findings suggest the model's benefit for improving surgical trainees' skills.