title: Bench surgical training with lyophilized esophageal segments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present lyophilized esophageal segments that can be used to learn surgical skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four esophagus were harvested from four non-esophagus related research dogs at the moment of euthanasia. Each esophagus was trimmed in 3 cm long segments. They were lyophilized and stored during 30 days. The day programmed for surgical skills practice, they were rehydrated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen segments have been used. After rehydrating, all the segments kept their normal anatomic shape and structural integrity. One incision was made on every esophageal segment and sutured with running stitches of 3-0 polyglactin 910. There were no complications, such as tissue tears, nor esophageal hardening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lyophilized esophagus is a high fidelity, practical, reproducible, portable, low-cost bench model. It allows general surgery apprentices to learn how to handle an esophagus, as well as to perfect their surgical and suture abilities before applying them on real patient's esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Lung Transplantation Research Unit, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases Ismael Cosio Villegas, Mexico, D.F.
authors.forename: Avelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotres-Vega
authors.forename: María Elba
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Osorio-Necoechea
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salas-Galindo
authors.forename: Soemi Careli
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: González-Ramón
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guadarrama-Sánchez
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villalba-Caloca
authors.forename: José Alfredo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Santibáñez-Salgado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D004285:Dogs; D004947:Esophagus; D005612:Freeze Drying; D023421:Models, Animal; D017145:Models, Educational; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors