PURPOSE:
This paper proposes a practical model of microneurosurgical training using a nonliving swine head.
METHODS:
Fresh porcine heads were obtained from butchery and dissected at our Laboratory of Microsurgery. Brain and skull base surgery were trained under microscopic magnification.
RESULTS:
Several neurosurgical procedures could be simulated in the nonliving pig model, including transcallosal approach to the lateral ventricle, lateral sulcus and middle fossa dissection, and posterior fossa surgery.
CONCLUSION:
The swine model perfectly simulates standard microneurosurgical procedures, and is a useful tool for developing and refining surgical skills.
Neurosurgery; Microsurgery; Training; Models, Anatomic; Swine
