Microsurgical Training Curriculum for Neurosurgery Residents in Southern Iran

Cerebrovascular diseases comprise a major subspecialty in neurological surgery. Current education curriculums lack the necessary training modalities for teaching the microvascular techniques, to neurosurgery residents. We have included a 1-month micro-lab and animal lab rotation for senior residents, which can be added to their current educational program. Necessary equipment for this rotation includes an operating microscope Zeiss S8, microsurgical instruments, and animal anesthesia equipment are used to perform revascularization techniques on the aorta of a rat model (average-sized Sprague-Dawley weighing 200-250 gram). This rotation was included in previous curriculums as micro-lab. Evaluation of microvascular surgical skills following the addition of animal models to this skill lab is suggested to be considered as a part of OSCE in board certification in future studies.  The addition of animal models to micro-lab rotations, provides a better understanding of tissue consistency while dealing with a microvascular surgery procedure, for neurological surgery residents.