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.