An instrument facilitates mitral valve repair training at home

Abstract

The importance of surgical simulation has grown in the quickly changing climate of modern surgical training. Prior to operating on human hearts, practice in appropriate experimental models is necessary to attain adequate experience. Nowadays, training of surgery residents has shifted to simulation workshops and residency programmes outside the operatingtheatre. We have experience in training our residents to perform mitral valve repair techniques in bovine hearts. Previously, the heart would be fixed on the tablecloth with simple stitches, which proved to be a complex and difficult technique while performing surgery. Moving forwards, we have built a successful 'surgical table' to achieve better stabilization and to simplify the surgery. This paper describes our model, which could be a helpful tool for any cardiac surgeon performing surgical techniques successfully at home. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.