Key result
A novel dynamic ventricular simulator successfully allowed evaluation of the functional efficacy of 9 simulated aortic valve procedures under physiologic conditions.
Why the study?
There were no training simulators capable of testing the quality of simulated heart valve procedures under dynamic physiologic conditions.
A novel dynamic ventricular simulator provides a physiologic environment for training and evaluating cardiac surgeons in aortic valve procedures.
May enable preclinical aortic procedure testing; leaves open human validation for surgical training.
Surgical simulation is becoming increasingly important in training cardiac surgeons. However, there are currently no training simulators capable of testing the quality of simulated heart valve procedures under dynamic physiologic conditions. Here we describe a dynamic ventricular simulator, consisting of a 3D printed valve suspension chamber and a model 1423 Harvard apparatus pulsatile pump, which can provide close to physiologic hemodynamic perfusion of porcine aortic roots attached to the valve chamber for education and training in cardiac surgery. The simulator was validated by using it to test aortic valve leaflet repairs (n = 6) and aortic valve replacements (n = 3) that were performed by two trainees. Procedural success could be evaluated by direct visualization of the opening and closing valve, hemodynamic measurements and echocardiography. We conclude that, unlike other methods of simulation, this novel ventricular simulator is able to test the functional efficacy of aortic procedures under dynamic physiologic conditions using clinically relevant echocardiographic and hemodynamic outcomes. While validated for valve surgery, other potential applications include ascending aortic interventions, coronary re-implantation or catheter-based valve replacements.
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Zilinskas et al. (2022) studied Cardiac surgery training (n=9). Dynamic ventricular simulator was evaluated on Procedural success evaluated by direct visualization, hemodynamic measurements, and echocardiography. A novel dynamic ventricular simulator successfully allowed evaluation of the functional efficacy of 9 simulated aortic valve procedures under physiologic conditions.
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