Modified saturated salt solution (MSSS) method for embalming

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical specialty requires adequate exposure of training and enormous practice of surgical skills to become successful. Moreover, surgeons have to be familiar with day to day trending newer developments and surgical techniques. For exclusive surgical training in surgical methods, the current adopted approach is surgical skills training (SST) on cadavers. Even though live animals and low and high fidelity simulators are used for SST, the overall outcome is in low profile with high cost and compromised anatomic fidelity, compared to embalmed cadavers. Within the available methods for embalming cadavers, formalin solution method (FAS) embalmed cadavers are seldom used for SST, Thiel’s solution method (TS) is costly, and saturated salt solution method (SSS) is preferred nowadays. Materials and Methods: It is a descriptive study for a period of six months in the formalin solution (FAS) embalmed and modified saturated salt solution (MSSS) method of embalmed cadavers. Human donated corpses with intact skin and organs of the body with acceptable appearance were included. The corpses with breached skin, external injures and unacceptable appearances were excluded from the study. Two corpses embalmed were by MSSS, assessed for skin color, pliability and suppleness of the soft tissue by visual and tactile assessment, range of movements and the results are compared with two formalin solution(FAS) embalmed cadavers. The data were analyzed by SPSS26 and excel 2007 software. Implications: MSSS method is useful, cost effective and comfortable embalming technique for surgical skills training. Keywords: Skills training, Modified saturated salt solution-cost effective.