Ex vivo training model for percutaneous renal surgery

Percutaneous endourological procedures require an advanced level of skills. To facilitate training in the proper technique, simulators are helpful. Non-biological models, useful for learning the basic steps, do not represent the clinical situation in an ideal way. Recently, we developed a porcine urinary tract model for ureteroscopy. Proceeding from this experience, we developed a further ex vivo model for training percutaneous endourological procedures. The kidney with the ureter is dissected off of the retroperitoneal organ package of freshly slaughtered pigs. It is embedded in silicon. The renal pelvis can be filled with saline to simulate hydronephrosis, stones can be implanted for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. This ex vivo model allows training of all percutaneous endourological procedures (e.g. percutaneous nephrostomy, percutaneous lithotomy, endopyelotomy). It is an ideal way to train these techniques, being superior to non-biological models in terms of "tissue feeling" for anatomic relations, and the great variety of procedures that can be trained. Nevertheless, it is readily available and inexpensive.