Surgical simulation models

Physical simulation models include synthetic models of anatomy called phantoms or task-specific models hke the well-known peg transfer wooden model. Physical simulators can be used as a benchtop model for open surgical procedures or used in conjunction with a box trainer (a set up that includes an endoscopic camera, trocar ports and laparoscopic instruments, and a video screen) to teach minimally invasive procedures. 

Simulators are developed primarily for the procedure(s) they are designed to emulate. Surgical simulators can include animal models, cadavers, synthetic and tissue-based bench models, computer/web-based simulators, video box trainers, web-based interface simulators, VR (or computer driven) part-task trainers, VR simulators that can allow the user to mimic an entire surgical procedure (whole-task trainers), hybrid simulators... 

Measurements of Platelet Consumption. A baboon AV shunt model was used to assess quantitatively the effects of physicochemical properties associated with polyacrylamide grafted substrates. In this model, measurements of platelet consumption using 51Cr-labeled platelets were steady state, reproducible between test animals, and unaffected by the surgical procedure (8,10). The methodology involved in the use of AV baboon shunts has been described previously (8,10). We concluded that this primate model simulates arterial thrombotic processes in humans and is suitable for the in vivo evaluation of biomaterial thrombogenesis (10). 

Visualization techniques have greatly improved many areas of biomedical research and practice [Johnson et al, 2004], including medical diagnosis, planning of surgical techniques, and simulation of biological behavior. Cavassa and Simo [2003] present work on a virtual patient system that provides a 3-D model of the patient and an ER room with a physiological model that can react to interventions. 

An interactive virtual simulation was performed by modifying the 3D data to imitate various surgical procedures, such as bone drilling, brain retraction, and tumor removal, with manipulation of a haptic device. Also, color-printed plaster models were produced using a selective laser sintering method (48). 

Bernardo A, Preul MC, Zabramski IM, Spetzler RF (2003) A three-dimensional interactive virtual dissection model to simulate transpetrous surgical avenues. Neurosurgery 52 499-505... 

Important to note however, Tanoue et al. found that training on VR simulators and box trainers are complementary, and that a combination of them should be included in a training curriculum [22]. Youngblood et al. s study demonstrated that naive subjects trained on a virtual—reality part-task trainer performed better on live surgical tasks in a porcine model as compared with those trained with a traditional box trainer [23]. 

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