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TissueDB/Simulators/Appendectomy Simulator

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General Information

Procedure glove clipped into a plastic container at the start of appendectomy simulator construction.
Procedure glove clipped into the plastic container to begin the appendix–cecum complex. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Appendectomy Simulator is a low-cost open-appendectomy trainer. It layers a vinyl-and-batting anterior abdominal wall over a procedure-glove appendix–cecum–terminal ileum complex held in a small plastic container, and is built entirely from globally available materials.[1]

Field Details
General Information Part of the ASAP (AMPATH Surgical App) open-appendectomy curriculum for the Global Surgical Training Challenge. Full build instructions, with two step-by-step videos, are on the ASAP source page.[1]
Features and Basic Operation Learners practise an open appendectomy on the finished model: incising and then closing the layered anterior abdominal wall, identifying the appendix within the appendix–cecum complex, ligating the appendiceal vessel in the mesoappendix, and dividing the appendix from the cecum. Building the model also rehearses simple interrupted suturing and instrument tying.[1]
Current Development Status Not stated in source.
Estimated Build Time and Cost Reusable parts USD 2.97; disposable parts USD 0.42 and USD 0.11 per use.
Specialized Tools and Equipment A needle driver, a haemostat, and suture material — surgical instruments that can be borrowed from a health facility.[1]
Version Not stated in source.
Development Team Contact Information Developed by the ASAP (AMPATH Surgical App) team for the Global Surgical Training Challenge; the course is introduced by Dr. Seno. See the ASAP Syllabus course.[1]

Tissues

Tissue Qty Material Cost Notes
Skin 1 Vinyl — Outermost layer of the abdominal wall; assembled coloured-side-down.[1]
Subcutaneous fat 1 Polyester batting (thicker layer) — The thicker fatty layer directly beneath the skin.[1]
Scarpa's fascia 1 Plastic wrap — The membranous fascia layer between the two fatty layers.[1][2]
Fatty tissue 1 Polyester batting (thinner layer) — The thinner fatty layer set deeper in the wall.[1]
Aponeurosis 1 Cotton fabric — The fibrous fascial sheet overlying the muscle.[1][2]
Muscle 2 Cotton batting — Two layers carry drawn diagonal striations in opposing directions to show muscle-fibre orientation.[1]
Peritoneum 2 Plastic wrap — The two innermost layers lining the abdominal wall.[1]
Cecum 1 Procedure glove bulked with cotton — Body of the appendix–cecum–terminal ileum complex; the glove is inverted so the tied-off fingers sit inside.[1]
Terminal ileum 1 Procedure glove — Anatomical landmark of the complex near the base of the appendix; formed by the glove body.[1][2]
Appendix 1 Procedure glove middle finger packed with cotton stuffing — The glove's middle finger, packed with cotton to give it body, forms the appendix.[1]
Mesoappendix 1 Stocking — Wraps the appendix and carries the appendiceal vessel; the learner divides it to free the appendix.[1]
Appendiceal vessel 1 strand Yarn — The vessel threaded through the mesoappendix that the learner isolates and ligates during the appendectomy.[1]
Tenia coli 1 Mask tie — Affixed along the glove to represent the anterior tenia coli of the cecum.[1]


Structural Parts

Part Name Qty Material Cost Notes
Plastic container 1 Plastic container — Reusable housing that holds and tensions the layered wall and the glove complex.[1]
Binder clips 6 Binder clips — Reusable; tension the wall layers and anchor the glove in the container.[1]


Build Instructions

Phase 1: Anterior Abdominal Wall


Vinyl being cut about 1 cm larger than the top of the plastic container.
Cutting the vinyl 1 cm larger than the container on all four sides. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. Cut the vinyl (skin) so it is 1 cm larger than the top of the 10 cm × 10 cm × 20 cm plastic container on all four sides.


The cut vinyl piece used as a template to cut the remaining layers.
Using the vinyl cut-out as a template for the remaining layers. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. Using the vinyl cut-out as a template, measure and cut the remaining layers, each 12 cm × 22 cm: the thicker (1 cm) polyester batting, the thinner (0.5 cm) polyester batting, the cotton fabric, and two layers of cotton batting. Cut the food-grade plastic wrap larger than the other layers — it is trimmed at the end.


Diagonal fibre striations being drawn on the two cotton-batting muscle layers.
Drawing diagonal fibre striations on the two muscle layers. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. On the two cotton-batting muscle layers, draw diagonal fibre striations with a red and a dark marker — on the first layer toward the upper-left corner, on the second toward the lower-left corner.
  2. Assemble the layers from external to internal: vinyl (skin), coloured-side-down; the 1 cm polyester batting (subcutaneous fat); a single larger layer of plastic wrap (Scarpa's fascia — trimmed at the end); the 0.5 cm polyester batting (fatty tissue); the cotton fabric (aponeurosis); the two cotton-batting muscle layers, each placed face-down with the striations opposing; and finally two layers of plastic wrap (peritoneum).
  3. Place a binder clip on each side to hold the layers in place.
  4. Place one simple interrupted suture in each of the four corners.
  5. Trim the excess plastic wrap from all layers.

Phase 2: Appendix–Cecum–Terminal Ileum Complex


Procedure glove clipped longitudinally into the plastic container with binder clips.
The glove clipped into the container to begin the appendix–cecum complex. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. Attach a procedure glove longitudinally in the container with four binder clips: the wrist to one end, the fourth finger to the opposite end, the fifth finger to a side, and the second finger to the opposite end.


Tying off the index finger of the glove with an instrument tie around a clamp.
Tying off the index finger by tying around a clamp. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. Tie off the index finger of the glove by tying around a clamp.


Suture-ligating the fourth and fifth fingers of the glove.
Suture-ligating the fourth and fifth fingers of the glove. Image by the ASAP team; CC BY-SA 4.0.
  1. Suture-ligate the fourth and fifth fingers of the glove.
  2. Invert the glove so all tied-off fingers are on the inside.
  3. Thin a piece of cotton to about 1 cm thick and the length of the middle finger, and place it inside the middle finger with a haemostat (do not overstuff the tip) — this forms the appendix.
  4. Cut the stocking and a length of yarn about 2 cm longer than the middle finger. Place the yarn inside the stocking and secure one end with a single interrupted suture — the stocking is the mesoappendix and the yarn is the appendiceal vessel.
  5. Fold the middle finger into thirds and clip the ends with a binder clip on the upper surface.
  6. From the distal tip, run a suture to close the finger edges, then continue it to attach the stocking along the finger — keep the yarn vessel on the side opposite the suture line, space stitches no more than 0.5 cm apart, and tie a knot near the base where the finger meets the palm.
  7. Attach the free end of the stocking on the palm side with a single interrupted suture near the thumb–palm junction; stitch the other end through the stocking and the glove and instrument-tie to cinch the mesoappendix into a rounded end.
  8. Stuff the glove with cotton balls to bulk out the cecum and terminal ileum.
  9. Attach the anterior tenia coli: cut the surgical-mask tie to the length from the base of the middle finger to the proximal end of the glove and affix it longitudinally with simple interrupted stitches.



References

[1][2]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 ASAP (AMPATH Surgical App) team. Instructions to Build your Model, ASAP Syllabus. Global Surgical Training Challenge, 2021. ASAP build instructions and ASAP Syllabus course. Not indexed in PubMed; primary source linked directly.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 AMPATH Surgical App (ASAP) Curriculum. Per-tissue simulation data for the anterior abdominal wall and the appendix–cecum–terminal ileum complex (Skin, Subcutaneous fat, Scarpa's fascia, Fatty tissue, Aponeurosis, Muscle, Peritoneum, Appendix, Cecum, Terminal ileum). SELF Materials Database, Appropedia, 2025. Not indexed in PubMed; primary source linked directly.




Simulator data
Alternative names ASAP Appendectomy Model; Open Appendectomy Simulator; AMPATH Surgical App Appendectomy Model



Page data
SDG
Authors Arturopelayo
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 20 pages link here
Views 13 page views (analytics)
Created February 11, 2026 by Felipe Schenone
Last edit June 4, 2026 by StandardWikitext bot
Cite as Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Appendectomy Simulator". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
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