Department of Digestive and Endocrine Surgery, IRCAD/EITS, IHU, University Hospital of Strasbourg, 1, Place de l'Hôpital, 67091, Strasbourg Cedex, France,
Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2013 Oct;398(7):919-23. doi: 10.1007/s00423-013-1115-0. Epub 2013 Sep 14.
Animal models are key elements of surgical research and promotion of new techniques. Inanimate models, anatomical specimens, and living animals are all necessary to solve the various problems encountered by the advent of a new surgical technique. The development of Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) procedures is a representative model.
Over 400 experimental procedures were performed in inanimate models, ex vivo tissues and animals to solve all problems faced by the development of NOTES surgery: peritoneal access, gastrotomy closure, exposure, retraction, dissection as well as education to start this new procedure.
The successive use of all models allows to identify the ideal solution for each problem and to precisely define the safest and most reliable option to apply the new technique in patients. It allowed to perform the first transvaginal and transgastric cholecystectomy in patients in a safe way.
Animal experimentation remains necessary as even sophisticated computer-based solutions are unable to model all interactions between molecules, cells, tissues, organisms, and their environment. Animal research is required in many areas to validate new technologies, develop training, let alone its major goal (namely to avoid using patients for experimentation) which is to be the first "model" for the surgeon.
动物模型是外科研究和新技术推广的关键要素。为了解决新手术技术出现带来的各种问题，需要使用无生命模型、解剖标本和活体动物。经自然腔道内镜手术（NOTES）技术的发展就是一个典型的范例。
为了解决 NOTES 手术发展过程中遇到的所有问题，如腹膜进入、胃切开闭合、暴露、牵引、解剖以及开展新手术的教育等，我们在无生命模型、离体组织和动物身上进行了超过 400 项的实验操作。
连续使用所有模型有助于确定每个问题的理想解决方案，并准确地定义最安全和最可靠的选择，以便将新技术应用于患者。这使得我们能够安全地为患者实施首例经阴道和经胃胆囊切除术。
动物实验仍然是必要的，因为即使是复杂的基于计算机的解决方案也无法模拟分子、细胞、组织、生物体及其环境之间的所有相互作用。在许多领域都需要动物研究来验证新技术、开展培训，更不用说其主要目标（即避免将患者用于实验），即将动物作为外科医生的第一个“模型”。
