Feasibility and benefits of the ewe as a model for vaginal surgery training.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to evaluate the ewe as an animal model for teaching and training in vaginal surgery.


METHODS
Twenty-nine postgraduate surgeons attended a training course on vaginal prolapse surgery. After a review of human and sheep anatomy, the participants performed transvaginal meshes, vaginal hysterectomy, SSLF (Richter), and OAS repair in ewes and human cadavers. Participants completed questionnaires on the whole course.


RESULTS
Questionnaires showed the significant superiority of ewes over human cadavers for all items evaluated regarding surgical dissections. Only identification of the sacrospinous ligament and the spine were judged to be similar in ewes and human cadavers. Participants noticed that ewe model is appropriate for vaginal prolapse surgery training for resident and for postgraduate surgeons. Two vaginal hysterectomies were also performed. Operating time, surgery, and anatomy were nearly identical to that of humans. The same conclusions were made while performing sacrospinous ligament fixation (Richter) and obstetric anal sphincter injury repair.


CONCLUSIONS
This series indicates that the ewe is a useful animal model for teaching vaginal surgery.
Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59000, Lille, France. yohan.kerbage@gmail.com.|Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France. yohan.kerbage@gmail.com.|Department of Gynecologic Surgery, Jeanne de Flandre Hospital, CHRU de Lille, Lille, France. yohan.kerbage@gmail.com.
Yohan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5957-4768
Y
Kerbage
Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
Géraldine
G
Giraudet
Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59000, Lille, France.|Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
Chrystèle
C
Rubod
Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59000, Lille, France.|Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
Charles
C
Garabedian
Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
Géraldine
G
Rivaux
Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59000, Lille, France.|Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
Michel
M
Cosson
D000818:Animals; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D012756:Sheep / Q000601:surgery*; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery*
Animal model; Ewes; Mesh; Prolapse; Training; Vaginal surgery