• Leonardo Desessards Olijnyk, Krunal Patel, Michel Rasche Brandão, Artur Nobrega Lima de Morais, Rodolfo Figueiredo de Carvalho, Antonio Generoso Severino, Diana Mayor, da Silva Carlos Eduardo CE Neurosurgery and Skull Base Surgery, Ernesto Dornelles Hospital, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil., and Marco Antônio Stefani.
• Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Neurosurgery and Skull Base Surgery, Ernesto Dornelles Hospital, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: leonardo.olijnyk@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2019 Oct 1; 130: 59-64.

BackgroundMicroscopic training is essential for development of neurosurgical skills. A range of models is reported in the literature for this purpose, including live animals, exvivo, and synthetic material. Among the factors involved in selection and development of a training station, cost is a decisive one.MethodsWe present a low-cost model to practice microvascular anastomoses using a bovine heart and an artificial perfusion system. We also present a brief review of laboratory models for microsurgical training, focusing on the costs and reproducibility of the different options.ResultsExvivo models are a great bridging point between nonbiologic and living animal training models. These models have major similarities to human vessels, such as lumen size and malleability of the arteries. The bovine heart model allowed the residents to gain confidence in handling vascular tissue in a microscopic environment.ConclusionsAlthough these models do not resemble anatomic landmarks in the human brain, the bovine heart model allowed the residents to gain confidence in handling vascular tissue in a microscopic environment.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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