title: Surgical Skills Training with Cryopreserved Rat Stomachs.
abstract: The objective of this study is to present a high-fidelity bench model of cryopreserved stomachs that can be used while learning surgical skills. Thirty stomachs were harvested from Wistar rats at the end of non-abdominal research studies. The stomachs were washed with cold saline solution and filled with hyaluronic acid solution. The organs were then placed into cryovials and cryopreserved at -30 °C for 60 days. The stomachs were thawed to room temperature on the day of the surgical skills practice and two full-thickness incisions were made. Reporting on their experiences, 22 participants (73.33%) felt that the cryopreserved stomach was identical to in vivo rat stomachs, 24 (80.00%) reported that the stomach was easy to handle, and 27 (90%) reported the tissue was non-friable. Moreover, 29 participants (96.6%) finished the suturing without tears and 100% recommended it as a biomaterial for surgical training. The cryopreserved stomach is a practical, reproducible, low-cost, and high-fidelity bench model that allows surgical fellows to learn how to handle a stomach and improve their surgical abilities before performing surgery on patients or laboratory animals.
authors.forename: Avelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotres-Vega
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villalba-Caloca
authors.forename: Shely
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azrad-Daniel
authors.forename: Jazmín A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Montes
authors.forename: J Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Torre-Jaime
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guadarrama-Sánchez
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérez-Covarrubias
authors.forename: J Alfredo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Santibañez-Salgado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000662:veterinary; D004520:Education, Veterinary / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats / Q000601:surgery*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D013522:Surgery, Veterinary / Q000193:education*
keywords: bench model; cryopreservation; rat; stomach; surgical education