The use of fabric softener in neurosurgical prosections

Cadaver prosections are very important for understanding the anatomy of various neurosurgical approaches. Formaldehyde fixation is an often-used, time-tested method of preserving cadavers, but it makes dissecting difficult, as tissues are rendered very tough and rigid. The alternatives to formaldehyde fixation that are currently available to make the tissues soft and more life-like either are time-consuming or shorten the period of time for which cadavers can be stored. We examined the effect of fabric softener (methyl bis [tallow amido ethyl] 2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate) on formaldehyde-fixed brains to make them soft and life-like. The deformability was measured by using a Schiotz ocular tonometer. We found that the use of fabric softener makes the brain significantly softer (P < 0.005) when compared with a standard diluted formalin solution. We also used fabric softener in neurosurgical prosections and found that the brain can be made soft enough to be able to retract. In addition, it can be used to better demonstrate the planes of tissue cleavage, making it very useful in simulating a life-like situation. We conclude that the use of fabric softener is a simple, reversible, inexpensive technique of obtaining ideal tissue texture for dissection of embalmed cadavers to demonstrate neurosurgical approaches.