Analysis of Current Practices and Exploration of Alternative Technologies in Use of Laboratory Animals for Minimally Invasive Surgery Education and Training

Currently, the rapid development of minimally invasive surgical techniques poses significant challenges to the traditional surgical education and training system. The teaching model relying on laboratory animals is facing the need for transformation due to ethical controversies, high costs, and limitations of the model. Through a combined approach of systematic literature analysis and summarization of practical experience at the Da Vinci Surgical Robot Training Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, this study systematically evaluated the multidimensional efficacy of laboratory animals in training for the Da Vinci robot operating system and laparoscopic techniques. The results indicate that, under current technological conditions, laboratory animals—leveraging their advantages of authentic tissue tactile feedback, dynamic physiological responses, and the ability to be trained under complex surgical field exposure—remain the core modality for cultivating advanced surgical skills (such as vascular dissection and mobilization, organ suturing, etc.). Their irreplaceability lies primarily in key training aspects such as simulating intraoperative dynamic physiological responses and handling intraoperative emergencies. Based on interdisciplinary technical assessment and practical observation, the authors propose and construct an "Ethics-Technology Synergy" development framework. They further explore the innovative value of the virtual-real interaction mechanism in extended reality technology, the construction of pathological simulation platforms using organoid models, and the resource coordination mechanism of digital sharing platforms. Using application cases from the training center, the study verifies the potential of these technologies to form a "stepwise replacement" pathway for laboratory animals. It also highlights their key breakthroughs in standardized scenario replication, improved tactile simulation accuracy, and reduced laboratory animal usage. This study emphasizes that the transformation of the minimally invasive surgical education and training system is not only a technological innovation but also an advancement of ethical concepts. The "Ethics-Technology Synergy" pathway requires focusing on three key implementation areas: constructing a multi-modal hybrid training system from the perspective of technological integration; establishing a collaborative biological specimen sharing network from the perspective of resource management; and refining standards for assessing the necessity of animal use from the perspective of ethical practice. This provides an actionable pathway for building a new training paradigm that balances technical efficacy with ethical compliance, thereby promoting the transformation of surgical education towards precision and minimal harm.