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Review
. 2015 Sep 26;5(3):144-8.
doi: 10.5662/wjm.v5.i3.144.

Lamb's head: The model for novice education in endoscopic sinus surgery

Neven Skitarelić  1 , Ranko Mladina  1
Affiliations
Review

Lamb's head: The model for novice education in endoscopic sinus surgery

Neven Skitarelić et al. World J Methodol. .

Abstract

Structured training in endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery (EESS) and skull base surgery is essential considering serious potential complications. We have developed a detailed concept on training these surgical skills on the lamb's head. This simple and extremely cheap model offers the possibility of training even more demanding and advanced procedures in human endonasal endoscopic surgery such as: frontal sinus surgery, orbital decompression, cerebrospinal fluid-leak repair followed also by the naso-septal flap, etc. Unfortunately, the sphenoid sinus surgery cannot be practiced since quadrupeds do not have this sinus. Still, despite this anatomical limitation, it seems that the lamb's head can be very useful even for the surgeons already practicing EESS, but in a limited edition because of a lack of the experience and dexterity. Only after gaining the essential surgical skills of this demanding field it makes sense to go for the expensive trainings on the human cadaveric model.

Keywords: Endonasal; Endoscopic; Lamb’s head; Learning; Sinus surgery; Skull base; Training.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The head holder. Six sideward-screws serve to fix the lamb's head in desired position while dissecting.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Endoscopic view to the left maxillary complex. The perpendicular crest (white arrow) divides the cavity within the maxilla into maxillary sinus proper (red arrow) and palatine sinus (blue arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Endoscopic 30° view at the region of the bottom of the frontal sinus. The tip of the Kerisson’s punch juts from the left nasal cavity through the artificially made septal (S) defect. Red and white arrows indicate the frontal sinus lateral and anterior cells. FS: Frontal sinus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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