Animal Models Within Surgical Simulation: A Novel Approach to the 3 Rs

Introduction: Development of technical skills is a vital component of surgical residency. The use of animal tissues for operative simulation leads to both the loss of animal life and financial costs for the institution. We hypothesized that maximizing tissue use from investigational large animal models after euthanasia could reduce loss of animal life and institutional costs by replacing commercially purchased tissues.

Methods: After animal euthanization, a resident and medical student team harvested porcine tissue commonly used for surgical simulation: abdominal wall, kidney, heart, spleen, and small intestine. Tissues were vacuum-sealed and frozen for future educational use. Outcomes of harvest yield and time and estimated commercial pricing of harvested porcine tissues were analyzed.

Results: Three timed procurements were performed with decreasing operative times (36:30, 34:00, and 30:54) and increasing harvest yields (100 cm, 160 cm, and 200 cm small bowel). Procurements were conducted within 15 min of animal euthanization. Harvested tissue was considered to be of similar quality to commercially purchased tissue. Estimated cost of procured tissues from a commercial vendor was $847 compared to $109 for direct procurement from euthanized porcine models.

Conclusions: Maximizing tissue use from large animal research models is an innovative approach to adhering to the three Rs of animal research: replace, reduce, and refine. Tissue procurement provides valuable tissues for resident education and simulation, increases surgical trainee operative exposure, and decreases institutional costs.