Training in microvascular surgery using a chicken wing artery

OBJECTIVE: Microarterial anastomosis is now seldom performed for treatment of atherosclerotic occlusive cerebrovascular disease. However, a small but significant number of procedures still require this technique. When a surgeon's clinical experience is limited, regular practice is required to maintain and improve surgical skills. The present training system involves passage from suturing of synthetic materials (such as Silastic tubes) to practice with experimental living animals or cadavers. However, these methods are neither convenient nor practical for daily exercises and rehearsals. I present a unique training exercise for microarterial anastomosis, using a chicken wing artery. METHODS: A brachial artery can be extracted from a chicken wing. The artery is 5 to 6 cm long and measures approximately 1 mm in diameter. The artery can be used to practice end-to-end, end-to-side, or side-to-side anastomosis under the microscope. RESULTS: Several advantages are noted: the materials are cheap, convenient to manage, and easy to obtain, and neither specific facilities to maintain living animals nor anesthesia is needed. Moreover, the diameter and structure of the material are identical to those of human cortical vessels, making the rehearsal quite similar to the actual surgical experience. CONCLUSION: This exercise is useful not only for young surgeons who wish to learn microsurgical techniques but also for more experienced surgeons who need to maintain or improve their skills.