Rubén D. Algieri; María S. Ferrante; Cristian Flores; Paulo Paglilla; Humberto Insfran & Nicolás Ernesto Ottone

Injuries in the inferior vena cava (IVC) have been described as the most common vascular abdominal injury found in trauma. The injury may present between the suprarenal and the infrarenal; in the case of retrohepatic injuries, it is associated with a high mortality rate. In a penetrating wound, high mortality rates are reported. Up to 50% of the individuals who experience these injuries die before getting to the hospital, and the mortality rate among those who get to a healthcare facility alive, ranges from 20 to 57 %. The study involved the evaluation of 12 trainee surgeons concerning anatomical understanding of the inferior vena cava system and related areas, using corpses subject to 10 % formol via checklists (April 2014). After a training period with anatomical dissection of 10 corpses subject to 10 % formol (May 2014-August 2014), the general surgery interns were reassessed via checklists using fresh corpses fresco (September 2014). During the first evaluation, the right and left common iliac vein were identified by 8 (66.66 %) interns: 7 (58.33 %) mentioned the segments of the IVC in the intrathoracic and abdominal area; 6 (85.71 %) referred to the intrapericardial portion, and 1 (14.29 %) mentioned the extrapericardial portion. The subduodenal portion or segment was identified as subhepatic by 7 (58.33 %) interns, and only 2 (16.66 %) referred to the subduodenal, retroduodenopancreatic and supraduodenopancreatic segments as part of the subhepatic segment. 3 (25 %) failed to mention the various segments of the (abdominal) IVC. The retrohepatic segment was identified by 8 (66.66 %) interns. During the second evaluation, the right and left common iliac vein were identified by 12 (100 %) interns: 11 (91.66 %) mentioned the segments of the inferior vena cava in the intrathoracic and abdominal areas; 11 (91.66 %) interns referred to the intrapericardial and the extrapericardial portions. The subduodenal segment was identified as subhepatic by 2 (16.66 %) interns, and 9 (75 %) of them mentioned the subduodenal, retroduodenopancreatic and supraduodenopancreatic segments as part of the subhepatic segment. The retrohepatic segment was identified by 11 (91.66 %) interns. Observation and anatomical dissection of the IVC in corpses when training a general surgeon provides a major teaching and training method to recognize the different anatomical structures of the area, for subsequent its application to surgery. The supervision and evaluation methodology consisting of the use of checklists by specialist physicians is an option that should be added to training programs in order to improve the educational process.

KEY WORDS: Inferior vena cava; Cadaveric models; Anatomical and surgical knowledge; Surgical training; Surgeons in training.

ALGIERI, R. D.; FERRANTE, M. S.; FLORES, C.; PAGLILLA, P.; INSFRAN, H. & OTTONE, N. E. Evaluation of anatomical and surgical understanding of the inferior vena cava system by general surgery interns. Int. J. Morphol., 34(2):424-430, 2016.