Didactic Benefits of Surgery on Body Donors during Live Surgery Events in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Matthias Biebl,Thilo Wedel,Nicolai Maass,Ibrahim Alkatout,Magret Krüger,Martina Westermann,Liselotte Mettler,Veronika Günther,Bernd Holthaus,Göntje Peters,Johannes Ackermann,Andreas Hackethal,Bernd Bojahr,Sara Brucker

doi:10.3390/jcm9092912

Abstract

Background: Live surgery events serve as a valuable tool for surgical education, but also raise ethical concerns about patient safety and professional performance. In the present study, we evaluate the technical feasibility and didactic benefits of live surgery on body donors compared to real patients. Methods: A live surgery session performed on a body donor’s cadaver embalmed in ethanol–glycerol–lysoformin was integrated into the live surgery program presented at a major gynecological convention of minimally invasive surgery. Surgical procedures carried out in real patients were paralleled in the body donor, including the dissection and illustration of surgically relevant anatomical landmarks. A standardized questionnaire was filled by the participants (n = 208) to evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness, and benefits of this novel concept. Results: The live surgery event was appreciated as a useful educational tool. With regard to the use of body donors, authenticity was rated high (85.5%), and the overall value of body donors for surgical education and training was rated very high (95.0%). The didactic benefit of simultaneous operations performed on body donors and real patients was considered particularly useful (95.5%), whereas complete replacement of real patients by body donors was not favored (14.5%). Conclusions: The study demonstrated both the technical feasibility and didactic benefits of performing minimally invasive surgery in body donors as part of live surgery events. This novel concept has the potential to enhance anatomical knowledge, providing insights into complex surgical procedures, and may serve to overcome yet unresolved ethical concerns related to live surgery events.

Highlights

Learning gross human anatomy by means of systematic dissection of body donors has always been a fundamental element of medical education [1]
We evaluate the technical feasibility and didactic benefits of live surgery on body donors compared to real patients
In the present study we evaluated a live surgery event supplemented by minimally invasive surgical procedures performed on a body donor, along with practical demonstrations of surgical anatomy

Summary

Introduction

Learning gross human anatomy by means of systematic dissection of body donors has always been a fundamental element of medical education [1]. Rapid advancements in medical and digital technology, especially minimally invasive surgery, have resulted in a wide range of training and educational opportunities, such as virtual reality training devices or interactive video learning platforms [5,6,7,8] In view of these new options, the traditional concept of acquiring knowledge of surgical anatomy on vulnerable patients entrusted to our care appears to be debatable, at least from the ethical point of view [9,10]. Conclusions: The study demonstrated both the technical feasibility and didactic benefits of performing minimally invasive surgery in body donors as part of live surgery events This novel concept has the potential to enhance anatomical knowledge, providing insights into complex surgical procedures, and may serve to overcome yet unresolved ethical concerns related to live surgery events

Methods

Results

Conclusion