Animal models in pancreatic surgery: a plea for pork.

There has been resurgence in the utilization of larger animal models in medicine over the last decade, particularly in the field of pancreatic research. With increasing pressures to more accurately replicate the human model prior to clinical application, an ideal animal model is necessary. Previous work in larger species (dog, pig) in pancreatic surgery research has identified several key anatomical differences that have led us to conclude that perhaps the swine is a model better fit for more accurate human representation. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel and IAP.