Neurosurgery residents at the University of Kansas Medical Center recently spent time honing their skills during a spinal neurosurgery lab led by department faculty.

The two-day training experience, which included a lecture and cadaver lab, focused on lateral lumbar interbody fusions, a minimally invasive treatment for leg and/or back pain typically caused by degenerative disc disease. The lab is part of a broader course in the residency program's curriculum that covers various topics in spine surgery.

"We try to go into detail for each topic and give the residents time to get their hands on the instruments used during surgery," said Michael Kinsman, M.D., assistant professor of neurosurgery at KU Medical Center, who led the cadaver lab portion of the lab and helped organize the training opportunity.

Two other faculty members, assistant professors Kushal Shah, M.D., and Ifije Ohiorhenuan, M.D., Ph.D., also helped lead the course.

Cadaver labs are frequently utilized to train neurosurgery residents at KU Medical Center. They play a critical role in helping trainees develop an understanding of safe and effective surgical techniques. These labs offer a unique opportunity for residents at every level to participate in simple and complex surgical procedures to prepare them for real life surgery.

"This course is very important because it allows the residents to perform the procedure without risk to a real patient. It allows them to get comfortable with the procedure so that when we have a similar case, they are ready," Kinsman said. "This is just a great opportunity for our residents and allows them to be more confident in the operating room."

The neurosurgery spinal lab was held Aug. 28-29 at Midwest Orthopedic Network in Overland Park and was sponsored by Stryker. The next installment, tentatively set for early 2021, will focus on cervical spine approaches.