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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(24); 3781; doi: 10.3390/ani13243781

Approaches to Laparoscopic Training in Veterinary Medicine: A Review of Personalized Simulators.

Abstract: Veterinary minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has experienced notable growth in recent years, yet the availability of specialized training tools remains limited and not readily accessible to practitioners worldwide. While borrowing simulators from human medicine practices suffices for acquiring fundamental laparoscopic skills, it proves inadequate when addressing procedure-specific nuances. Veterinary professionals are now taking steps to create simulators tailored to their patients, although the validation process can be time-consuming. Consequently, the availability of advanced laparoscopic simulators for veterinary training remains scarce. The present study aims to highlight custom-made simulators. A comprehensive search across five databases was conducted to uncover the simulators documented from 2010 to 2022. A total of five simulators emerged from this search, with four grounded in a canine model and only one in an equine model. These models underwent validation and were found to be effective in training surgeons for their designated tasks. The findings underscore a limited array of simulators, predominantly catering to two species (horses and dogs). Considering these findings, it is evident that further research is imperative to create laparoscopic simulators capable of facilitating advanced veterinary training. This would enable the continued evolution of surgical techniques across diverse species, including ruminants, small mammals, and non-mammalian animals.
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Publication Date: 2023-12-08 PubMed ID: 38136818PubMed Central: PMC10740942DOI: 10.3390/ani13243781Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study reviews the current state of personalized laparoscopic simulators used in veterinary medicine training.
  • It highlights the scarcity of specialized, procedure-specific simulators tailored to different animal species and emphasizes the need for further development in this area.

Background

  • Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in veterinary medicine has grown substantially over recent years.
  • Training tools specifically designed for veterinary laparoscopic procedures are limited and often not accessible worldwide.
  • Simulators from human medicine are commonly repurposed to develop basic laparoscopic skills in veterinary practitioners, but they lack specificity for veterinary procedures.
  • Veterinary surgeons recognize the need for customized simulators that reflect the anatomical and procedural nuances of different animal species.
  • Developing and validating these specialized simulators tends to be a lengthy and resource-demanding process.

Research Aim and Methodology

  • The study aimed to identify and review personalized laparoscopic simulators developed for veterinary training.
  • A thorough literature review was performed using five databases to locate documented simulators from 2010 to 2022.
  • The search criteria focused on simulators customized for veterinary applications rather than generic or human-based laparoscopic simulators.

Findings

  • Only five personalized laparoscopic simulators were identified during the search period.
  • Of these simulators, four were designed based on canine anatomical models and one utilized an equine model.
  • All identified simulators underwent some form of validation to test their effectiveness in training veterinary surgeons for specific laparoscopic tasks.
  • Validated models demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing surgical skills relevant to the targeted veterinary procedures.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The current availability of advanced laparoscopic simulators in veterinary medicine is very limited, primarily concentrated on dogs and horses.
  • This limitation indicates significant gaps in training resources for other species such as ruminants, small mammals, and non-mammalian animals.
  • There is an urgent need for further research and development to create and validate laparoscopic simulators tailored to a wider range of veterinary species.
  • Expanding the diversity and sophistication of these simulators will support better training, accelerating the advancement of veterinary surgical techniques across multiple animal groups.

Cite This Article

APA
Dejescu CA, Bel LV, Melega I, Muresan SMC, Oana LI. (2023). Approaches to Laparoscopic Training in Veterinary Medicine: A Review of Personalized Simulators. Animals (Basel), 13(24), 3781. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13243781

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 24
PII: 3781

Researcher Affiliations

Dejescu, Cosmina Andreea
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Bel, Lucia V
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Melega, Iulia
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Muresan, Stefana Maria Cristina
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Oana, Liviu Ioan
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
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