Advancing Vascular Surgery Training at Rigshospitalet with Silicone Aortic Aneurysm Models

In August 2025, Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen — one of Europe’s largest vascular surgery departments — partnered with 3Deus Dynamics to improve its surgical education program. The training focused on open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, utilizing two silicone vascular models: a standard AAA model for beginners and a patient-specific, angulated aneurysm model for advanced practitioners. The workshop gathered surgeons and trainees for a one-day session.

Integrated into Vascular International simulators, these models provided lifelike haptic feedback, facilitated progressive learning, and offered anatomically faithful challenges. Surgeons described the patient-specific model as “the best synthetic model we have used to date.”

Setting the Scene: Why Rigshospitalet Needed More Realistic Surgical Training

Rigshospitalet, Denmark’s leading university hospital, is internationally recognized for its highly specialized cardiovascular and endovascular treatments. Its Department of Vascular Surgery is among the largest in Europe, training future surgeons and advancing clinical research. The Department is closely affiliated with the Copenhagen Academy of Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES) and, together with the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS), contributes to the ENHANCE programme, a structured pathway for open vascular surgery training.

The training was led by Prof. Jonas Peter Eiberg, Dr. Kim Bredahl, and Dr. Rebecca Skov, who played central roles in the design, execution, and evaluation of the program.

Yet, traditional training models fell short:

  • Too standardized, not reflecting real patient anatomies.
  • Limited haptic feedback makes cutting and suturing feel artificial.
  • No gradual increase in difficulty, leaving skill progression fragmented.

To overcome these barriers, Rigshospitalet partnered with us to use silicone models produced in our ISO 13485–certified environment with our patented Dynamic Molding technology. Combined with Vascular International’s globally recognized surgical simulators, widely adopted in vascular training centers, they created a more authentic and progressive training pathway.

From Beginner to Complex: A Progressive Learning Experience for Surgeons

Taking First Steps with the Standard AAA Model

In the basic training session, surgeons used the 3Deus Standard AAA Model, a simplified silicone reproduction of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The model was hosted inside a box-shaped simulator by Vascular International, designed for beginners performing their first open AAA repair, and allowed graft placement on a straightforward aneurysm model.

Outcome: Even a surgeon with no prior AAA repair experience was able to successfully perform the procedure, assisted by Dr. Kim Bredahl, and found the model highly realistic in terms of haptic feedback, describing the tactile feel as the closest yet to living tissue.

Taking on Complexity with the Patient-Specific AAA Model

For the advanced session, participants faced a patient-specific silicone model reproducing an angulated and juxtarenal aortic aneurysm, representing a far more complex anatomy. Integrated into the same simulator used for the basic cases, the team now worked with a significantly more challenging simulated anatomy. The experienced surgeons trained on the highly complex proximal anastomosis, characterized by a short, angulated neck and unilateral suprarenal clamping. The model provided authentic resistance, fragility, and mechanical properties, enabling precise clamping, cutting, suturing, and graft handling.

Outcome: In this second operation, Prof. Jonas Peter Eiberg assisted while Dr. Kim Bredahl performed the procedure. Surgeons described the anatomical accuracy and tissue-like behavior as “astonishing.”

When Clinicians and Manufacturers Collaborate, Training Evolves

Throughout both sessions, Dr. Rebecca Skov focused on analyzing the outcomes and structuring the training program. By moving from a simplified model to a complex patient-specific anatomy, Rigshospitalet surgeons could:

  • Progress step by step in technical skill and decision-making.
  • Practice on anatomies beyond standardized cases, closer to clinical reality.
  • Gain confidence in open AAA repair, improving readiness for real surgery.
  • Train with ethical alternatives to cadavers and animal models, while still benefiting from realistic anatomy and feedback.

The models seamlessly integrated into Vascular International simulators. This integration showed that they are:

  • Fully functional in real training scenarios.
  • Delivering haptic fidelity comparable to live tissue.
  • Enabling sustainable and consistent education programs.

Five Points That Set 3Deus Dynamics’ Vascular Silicone Models Apart

  • Mechanical realism is unmatched by other synthetic models.
  • True anatomical fidelity, including fragility during suturing and cutting.
  • Pedagogical progression, building skills from basic to advanced cases.
  • A pathway for continuous training, where each session can introduce new anatomies and clinical challenges.
  • Produced in an ISO 13485–certified environment, ensuring the same quality standards as medical devices.

This collaboration highlights how silicone anatomical models and realistic surgical simulators can reshape vascular surgery training, bridging the gap between the classroom and the operating room.

Model Specifications

3Deus Standard AAA Model

  • Anatomy: Simplified abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Application: Beginner open AAA repair training
  • Length: 400 mm
  • Inner diameter: 9 – 80 mm
  • Wall thickness: 1 mm
  • Silicone Shore hardness: 10 – 50 Shore A

3Deus Patient-Specific AAA Model

  • Anatomy: Patient-specific angulated abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Application: Advanced open AAA repair training
  • Length: 400 mm
  • Inner diameter: 9 – 47 mm
  • Wall thickness: 1 mm
  • Silicone Shore hardness: 10 – 50 Shore A

What’s next?

This project, bringing together Rigshospitalet and 3Deus Dynamics, shows the potential of progressive surgical training with silicone anatomical models.

By integrating standardized and patient-specific anatomies into advanced simulators, vascular surgeons gain a lifelike, step-by-step training experience that improves skills, confidence, and ultimately patient care outcomes.

Beyond AAA repair, 3Deus Dynamics also offers a broader portfolio of silicone models through its Organo and Artero product lines, covering multiple organ systems and vascular anatomies.

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