Microsurgical training model with nonliving swine head. Alternative for neurosurgical education.

PURPOSE This paper proposes a practical model of microneurosurgical training using a nonliving swine head. METHODS Fresh porcine heads were obtained from butchery and dissected at our Laboratory of Microsurgery. Brain and skull base surgery were trained under microscopic magnification. RESULTS Several neurosurgical procedures could be simulated in the nonliving pig model, including transcallosal approach to the lateral ventricle, lateral sulcus and middle fossa dissection, and posterior fossa surgery. CONCLUSION The swine model perfectly simulates standard microneurosurgical procedures, and is a useful tool for developing and refining surgical skills.