Replicated mitral valve models from real patients offer training opportunities for minimally invasive mitral valve repair.

OBJECTIVES: Minimally invasive mitral valve repair is considered a challenging procedure. Mastering the necessary skills takes years of training and clinical experience. To date, reconstructive surgery is performed mainly by a few surgeons with a strong track record, whereas trainees have only limited opportunities to practise.

METHODS: A high-fidelity training simulator was equipped with novel silicone replicas of patient-specific mitral valves containing all of the anatomical components of the valve. The goal of this system was to aid members of the surgical community to overcome the steep learning curve.

RESULTS: Twelve surgeons (5 experts and 7 surgical resident trainees) performed a minimally invasive mitral valve repair procedure on these models and assessed the usefulness for different applications. The trainees found the main application to be general surgical training and education for mitral valve repair, whereas the experts found the main benefit to be rehearsal for a specific patient. The skills of the trainees were improved in only a single session. The valve models placed in a water solution showed a high echogenicity.

CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative patient-specific simulation could improve the safety and effectiveness of mitral valve repair in the hands of a larger number of surgeons. Because the system is based on a quantitative segmentation of the anatomy of the mitral valve, it offers young surgeons training in general dexterity and also provides an exact numerical quantitative assessment of valvular geometry. This system can be used to educate surgeons to strive for and achieve well-defined and measurable surgical changes to the anatomy of the valve and to achieve the desired functional results.