ABSTRACT
With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there has been an explosion in the development of laparoscopic tools to enhance not only cholecystectomy but also laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, laparoscopic colon resection, and other techniques. The bulk of experimental work in developing these devices, as well as the enormous task of training surgeons to perform these new laparoscopic procedures, has utilized the swine model (Bailey et al., 1991; Freeman, 1994; Kopchok et al., 1993; Lyons and Sosa, 1992; Santos Garcia-Vaquero and Uson Gargallo, 2002; Soper and Hunter, 1992) (Figure 13.1). In parallel with laparoscopic interventions, therapeutic procedures using flexible endoscopes have also seen tremendous growth. Taking the lead from our laparoscopic colleagues, the bulk of experimental work for the development of devices has been done utilizing the swine model (Freys et al., 1995; Gutt et al., 2004; Ma and Fang, 1994; Noar, 1995; Pasricha et al., 1995; Rey and Romanczyk, 1995). The porcine model has also been a key player in endoscopic training. Given this tremendous activity over the last decade, it is important to provide an update in this chapter. The chapter will be broken down into sections on models for device and technique development and the models for teaching.
