Development of surgical skills in pediatric cardiovascular surgery using porcine models

Abstract

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are structural anomalies of the heart that often require specialized surgical interventions. This study assessed the use of porcine models for cardiovascular surgery training due to their anatomical similarity to the human heart. A comparative analysis of porcine and human cardiovascular anatomy was performed, followed by the simulation of key surgical procedures, including the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, the Fontan procedure, and the Rastelli procedure. The results showed an improvement in surgical skills and a reduction in procedure execution time. The study concludes that porcine models are a valuable tool for pediatric cardiac surgery training, allowing students to develop technical proficiency in a controlled environment before performing surgeries on human patients.