Introduction

Diaphragmatic hernia is one of the major complications from an injury list, resulting from trauma in small animals. Traditionally, diaphragmatic hernia in dogs and cats has been repaired by laparotomy. However, the use of minimally invasive surgery is more and more used in veterinary medicine, providing animals the same benefits as in human medicine. A group of veterinary researchers have achieved in rabbits a thoracoscopy training model to repair diaphragmatic hernia for pediatric surgeons.

Objectives

Present study evaluates the usefulness of the rabbit model and the possibility of transference of this model to develop surgical skills in veterinary surgeons.

Methods

Diaphragmatic hernia model was created in rabbit cadavers by making a 5-cm cut in left diaphragm, and a group of 5 surgeons repaired it by thoracoscopy. After that, the same group of surgeons performed the same procedure using dog cadavers.

Results

The mean of the number of procedures performed by surgeon group in rabbit cadavers was 6.4 until they achieved a correct repaired diaphragmatic defect. When surgeons did it in dog cadavers after rabbit cadaver's model achieved, the mean was 2.2 procedures.

Conclusions

The surgical training model created is economic and useful, and can be easily reproducible in most veterinary practice centers or hospitals in order to develop surgical skills to repair diaphragmatic hernia through minimally invasive surgery, as well as the refinement of surgical skills previously acquired.