Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery training with a polyvinyl-alcohol hydrogel model mimicking real tissue.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has become increasingly accepted, and the thoracic surgeon must be proficient in this technique. Although the advantages of VATS are widely acknowledged, the procedures are technically challenging and may result in catastrophic complications. Thus, the importance of VATS training has long been recognized and various training simulators are available. In this report, we introduce a training method using a new simulator comprising polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) hydrogel mimicking real human anatomy and texture.