Commentary: Cadaver dissection for oculoplastics procedures: A beginner’s guide

The legendary Italian anatomist and the father of modern Anatomic pathology, Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682–1771), once said, “Those who have dissected or inspected many (bodies) have at least learned to doubt; while others who are ignorant of anatomy and do not take the trouble to attend it are in no doubt at all.”

The term “cadaver” is derived from the Latin word “cadere,” which means “to fall.” The significance of cadaver dissection from times immemorial in learning anatomy and pathology is beyond measure. Learning anatomy by using cadavers has been an integral part of medical teaching for the past four centuries. With the advent of technology and challenges such as COVID-19, the recent past has witnessed several changes, including virtual dissections, problem-based learning, and team-based learning.[1,2]

Certain special indications for cadaveric teaching include learning emergency procedures (e.g., lumbar puncture), performing an autopsy, and learning and correlating radiological aspects through cadaver imaging.[1,3] Other than anatomy, cadaveric dissections are very useful for good surgical hands-on training before the trainee graduates to assisted training in living humans.[1,2,3] It is in this context that the present study is an excellent guide and details the utility of cadaver dissections in the learning of oculoplastic surgeries and steps to be initiated by beginners in gaining a wholesome experience.[4] The advantages include natural anatomical landmarks, a real tissue-like feel (in soft-embalmed cadavers), and simulation of the intraoperative scenarios. Moreover, it can help learn advanced computer-based stereotactic oculoplastic surgeries.

As the clinical anatomist, Oliver Beahrs observed, “today’s residents in surgery are learning their anatomy on sick patients for the first time in the middle of the night: Operating without a firm knowledge of anatomy leads to increased mortality and morbidity.”[1,5] Integrating cadaveric dissection in oculoplasty training would go a long way in improving the quality of surgical training and partly flattening the steep learning curves that many fellows face.

Financial disclosure

Mohammad Javed Ali receives royalties from Springer for the textbook “Principles and Practice of Lacrimal Surgery,” “Atlas of Lacrimal Drainage Disorders,” and “Video Atlas of Lacrimal Surgery.”