A recent study led by Decan Jiang and colleagues from RWTH Aachen University, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany has shed light on how porcine models are helping surgical training—particularly in the complex field of kidney transplantation.
Pigs are anatomically and physiologically close to humans, making them ideal candidates for surgical training. Practicing renal autotransplantation, where a kidney is removed and reimplanted in the same animal, allows to investigate the immunological responses and pathophysiology in the renal transplantation setting as well as to test and develop new organ preservation techniques, novel drugs, and surgical approaches.
The research team performed 51 consecutive porcine renal autotransplantations, dividing the cases between two surgical teams:
The goal was to understand how surgical experience impacts outcomes and how to flatten the learning curve for new surgeons.
Experience matters – but is not everything: Team 1 had significantly shorter warm ischemia, anastomosis and implantation times (key indicators of surgical efficiency). However, both teams achieved similar survival rates and low complication rates after about 10 procedures.
Learning Curve Plateau: It took roughly 10 surgeries for both teams to reach consistent performance levels. This suggests that with proper training and support, even less experienced surgeons can master complex procedures.
Refinement Techniques: The study introduced several innovations to improve animal welfare and surgical outcomes:
This model isn’t just about training—it’s also a powerful tool for research. The team simulated both donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after cardiac death (DCD) scenarios, showing that DCD kidneys had worse early function but recovered well over time. This opens doors for testing new preservation techniques and therapies.
With organ shortages and increasing demand for transplants, training the next generation of surgeons is more critical than ever. This study shows that animal models can play a vital role in advancing human medicine. As surgical techniques evolve and new technologies emerge, models like this will continue to be essential in preparing surgeons for the challenges ahead.
July, 2025.
By browsing this website, you accept the use of cookies for statistical purposes.
When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Control your personal Cookie Services here.
