Training simulators can facilitate the acquisition and development of basic surgical skills, and they constitute a safe and humane method that does not harm animals in the process. The objective of this work was to create and evaluate a low-cost simulator to help undergraduate students of veterinary medicine acquire and practise vascular ligation skills. A training model was made by using easily accessible and inexpensive materials. Fifteen students, without prior surgical experience, each performed the orchiectomy technique on the simulator seven times. The emphasis was on performing vascular ligatures in both testicles of the simulator (n = 14), in two different scenarios: firstly, with the contents of the blood vessels not under pressure; and secondly, with the syringe plunger depressed by 1 ml to pressurise the blood vessels. The outcomes of the procedure in the simulator were based on three qualitative criteria: Correct (no 'bleeding'), Sufficient (light 'bleeding') and Incorrect (heavy 'bleeding'). After the seventh attempt, all participants were able to perform vascular ligatures with at least a score of Sufficient in both scenarios. By the 10th ligature attempt, they were all able to perform the procedure with a score of Correct (p < 0.05). There was a trend toward a decrease in the time taken to carry out the procedure as learning progress was made during training, with this being significant from the 12th attempt (p < 0.05). The use of this low-cost simulator represents a useful didactic tool, which supports the acquisition and practise of manual skills by using methods that do not involve the use of animals. In addition, this training simulator could be useful in distance learning, in view of the ready accessibility of the materials required for its construction.
Keywords: distance learning; learning curve; orchiectomy; simulation; surgical training.