Paediatric Pyeloplasty Surgical Training
The pyeloplasty procedure is a complex and delicate surgery, performed both robotically and laparoscopically. It is a reconstructive surgery which is used to correct a ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO), in paediatric cases this is typically caused by a crossing vessel putting tension on the ureteropelvic junction. The obstruction is corrected by separating the ureter from the renal pelvis and reattaching, with the crossing vessel now being positioned to the posterior of the ureter.
Ureter and renal pelvis tissue in question is typically <1mm in paediatric cases meaning an extreme amount of precision is required from the performing surgeon. Non-wet lab training for this type of procedure is limited and ineffective, generating a requirement for an artificial and reproducible training model. As anatomical structures can vary significantly from case to case, a patient specific model would be an ideal solution for pre-surgical planning.
Keywords: Herston Biofabrication Institute, Pyeloplasty, Paediatric, 3D printing, Medical engineering, FormLabs, Stratasys, Digital anatomy, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Additive Manufacturing, Surgical training models, Urology.
Digital Anatomy Kidney Model
Paediatric surgeons, of varying experience, from Gold Coast University Hospital conducted testing on the the models to grade the overall realism, material elasticity and training viability.
Elastic Kidney model
A secondary model (of the same anatomy) was manufactured using Elastic resin.
Testing was performed using laparoscopic training boxes to simulate the visual disconnect of the typical laparoscopic procedure.
To achieve the best manufacturing outcomes, each model had to be removed from scaffolding using a scalpel prior to post processing.
Material testing samples.
Each surgical training model was fastened into a harness designed for the clinician to be able to manipulate the anatomical model to suit their procedural preference.