Microsurgical Training Program for Young Neurosurgeons in Our Institute

Abstract

We introduce our microsurgical training program for young neurosurgeons. The technological revolution of interventional radiology (IVR) enables us to nonsurgically cure the greater part of cerebral vascular diseases. This recent trend has decreased the number of cases to be treated by open surgery, thus depriving young neurosugeons of opportunities for learning microsurgical techniques in clinical settings.
To teach microsurgical techniques despite the limited clinical case volume, we prepared an easily accessible and practical training program. The program consists of a micro-scissors exercise with gauze (gauze cutting method), which simulates dissection of the sylvian fissure or the interhemispheric fissure, an anastomosis exercise with gauze, prosthetic tubes, chicken wing artery, or cadaver artery, and an operative stand with a small hole, which simulates a variety of surgical fields.
We believe that this protocol is useful for young neurosurgeons to learn and establish steady and skillful microsurgical techniques.