Building Endoscopy Skills on a Budget: Practical Low-Cost Simulators for Veterinary Endoscopy Teaching

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education

Background:

• Flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy requires specialized psychomotor and visuospatial skills distinct from open surgery.
• Current veterinary endoscopy training faces limitations due to ethical concerns and high costs associated with live animals and advanced simulators.
• A significant gap exists in accessible early-stage endoscopy training for veterinary professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement low-cost, modular simulation models for veterinary endoscopy training.
• To create task trainers for foreign body retrieval and polypectomy, and a biological model using porcine tissue for anatomical context.
• To facilitate the acquisition of core endoscopic skills in a controlled, low-risk environment.

Main Methods:

• Designed two custom task trainers for specific endoscopic procedures (foreign body retrieval, polypectomy).
• Developed a biological model using porcine gastrointestinal tissue within a canine dummy for realistic haptic feedback and anatomical context.
• Implemented a station-based training format with demonstration and supervised practice in a clinical skills laboratory.

Main Results:

• Simulators enabled repeated, hands-on practice of key skills: scope navigation, visualization, retroflexion, biopsy, and object retrieval.
• The models provided a controlled, low-risk environment for skill acquisition.
• Informal feedback highlighted high usability and perceived educational value, especially for early skill development.

Conclusions:

• Low-cost simulation models offer a practical and accessible solution for veterinary endoscopy training.
• These simulators reduce the need for live animals and expand deliberate practice opportunities in resource-limited settings.
• Further research should focus on formal validation and objective performance assessment integration.