title: Watertight dural closure in brain surgery: a simple model for training.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To avoid cerebrospinal fluid leaks and related possible complications, the dura mater should be meticulously closed after craniotomy procedures. Several techniques for duraplasty and different material for watertight closure have been described.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a device to be used for the training of neurosurgical procedures of duraplasty.
  A plastic dummy with a balloon was developed to test the efficacy of the watertight closure of the dura. The technical notes to reproduce the method have been described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The described model represents a new, simple, effective and affordable device to be used for neurosurgical training in the procedures of duraplasty and to test the efficacy of watertight closures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matula
authors.affiliation: Nykomed, Medical Scientific Strategy, Roskild, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kjærsgaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Ieva
mesh_terms: D003399:Craniotomy / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000601:surgery*; D008953:Models, Anatomic