TissueDB/Simulators/Suture Simulator (Almeida)
The Almeida suture simulator is a low-cost suture pad, built from locally available materials, for practising basic surgical suturing — the simple interrupted stitch — with pre-clinical medical students.[2] It gives learners a skin-like surface to incise and close, and is quick and inexpensive to make in quantity for repeated practice.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Features and Basic Operation | A single 6 cm circular pad takes a 4 cm incision and five simple interrupted stitches. The study evaluated this stitch pattern; the authors also describe continuous suturing as possible. Learners cut the pad with a scalpel and close the edges. In the reported manual-traction test, higher-intensity traction tore the edges with mononylon 5-0 and 6-0, but not with mononylon 4-0. Each pad takes about 9 minutes to make, followed by 48 hours of drying; the authors describe the model as reusable. |
| Current Development Status | Tested in a medical-school training study: simulated suturing improved and stayed above baseline four weeks later; performance on patients was not evaluated.[3] |
| Estimated Build Time and Cost | R$1.53[1] Approximately 9 minutes per pad on average (range 7–13 minutes), plus 48 hours of drying in ambient air. |
| Specialized Tools and Equipment | Digital scale (to weigh the silicone and starch); a flat non-stick surface for mixing; a scalpel handle with a No. 15 blade to cut the practice incision; mononylon 4-0 on a cylindrical needle (16 mm, 3/8 circle) for the student-training task. |
| Version | Version 1 |
| Development Team Contact Information | Edson Yuzur Yasojima (corresponding author), yasojima@ufpa.br — Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil; study performed at the Laboratory of Experimental Surgery, Universidade do Estado do Pará (UEPA), Belém. |
Tissues
| Tissue | Qty | Material | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin | 1 pad | Acetic silicone + maize starch | R$1.53 | Single homogeneous layer; a suturable skin-like surface that does not reproduce the different layers of skin tissue |
Build Instructions
Phase 1: Pad Fabrication
- Weigh 20 g of acetic silicone and 11 g of maize starch using a digital scale.
- Place both ingredients on a flat non-stick surface.
- Mix by hand until the silicone and starch form a homogeneous mass.
- Mold the mixture into a circular shape with a 6 cm diameter.
- Leave the pad in contact with ambient air for 48 hours to dry.
Phase 2: Suturing Practice
- Following the student-training method, make a 4 cm longitudinal incision with a scalpel handle and No. 15 blade. Close it with five simple interrupted stitches using mononylon 4-0 on a cylindrical needle (16 mm, 3/8 circle).
Limitations
- The pad is a single homogeneous layer that does not reproduce the different layers of skin tissue.
- Higher-intensity manual traction tore the pad edges with mononylon 6-0 and 5-0; this was not observed with mononylon 4-0 in the reported test.
- Limited skin-layer and texture fidelity reduces visual perception of the depth of needle passage through the wound edges; the authors identify this as the model’s main limitation.
References
- ↑ Almeida et al. (2023), Table 2: less than R$1.53 per pad (20 g acetic silicone and 11 g maize starch); the full packs of both materials cost R$20.40.
- ↑ Almeida NRC, Braga JP, Bentes LGB, Lemos RS, Fernandes MRN, Andrade GL, Araújo VMM, Santos DR, Yasojima EY. Low-cost suture simulator to gain basic surgical skills. Acta Cir Bras 2023;38:e384223. DOI: 10.1590/acb384223. PMID 37851786.
- ↑ Almeida et al. (2023): one surgeon tested the prototype; 20 medical students then trained on it twice a week for five weeks and were assessed again four weeks after the last session.
| Authors | Arturo Pelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturo Pelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Suture Simulator (Almeida)". Appropedia. Retrieved October 14, 2026. |