Hands-on learning has always been advantageous for medical personnel. Without it, the extent of familiarity and preparedness for surgical performance is not what it could be. Though advances in technology and protocols have been perceived as advantageous and indeed may be in some ways, clinical experience has confirmed that no simulation compares to the human cadaver when it comes to authenticity.
Because the field of medicine is in a continual state of growth, there is value in the development of new training methods for students as well as physicians seeking to advance their education. The use of human cadavers has become a debatable topic in recent years, with some arguing that virtual reality provides as much value to the surgeon in training. Research disagrees.
In a joint study, researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK and the University of Michigan observed the differences between electronic instruction and cadaver training using human models. At the conclusion of their study, researchers concluded that cadavers offer a more realistic model for the identification and understanding of anatomical structures. Of course they did, they were literal models with real tissue not simulated in form.
Spinal surgeries are some of the most complex and intricate to be performed, and many such surgical procedures are performed on an annual basis. It makes sense, then, that those tasked with the performance of surgeries such as cervical laminoplasty or lumbar laminectomy do what is necessary to be as highly qualified as possible.
Research studies involving medical students and surgeons involved in cadaver training have confirmed that the use of cadaver tissue increases competency and confidence in the operating room. Cadavers offer surgeons the opportunity to observe normal tissue as well as diseased tissue in the exact form it takes in the human body. Students agree that this observation, which differs from one cadaver model to another, greatly increases surgical abilities. Even more interesting, students also agree that their use of cadaver models increases their ability to provide a more personal level of patient care.