Open surgery simulation of inguinal hernia repair.

Inguinal hernia repair procedures are often one of the first surgical procedures faced by junior surgeons. The biggest challenge in this procedure for novice trainees is understanding the 3D spatial relations of the complex anatomy of the inguinal region, which is crucial for the effective and careful handling of the present anatomical structures in order to perform a successful and lasting repair. Such relationships are difficult to illustrate and comprehend through standard learning material. This paper presents our work in progress to develop a simulation-based teaching tool allowing junior surgeons to train the Lichtenstein tension-free open inguinal hernia repair technique for direct and indirect hernias, as well as to enforce their understanding of the spatial relations of the involved anatomy.