Importance of experimental surgery for training of the surgeon and development of clinical surgery

Advances in medicine in general and surgery in particular have been due to a great extent to animal experimentation, a practice carried out since ancient times; without their use, the scientific progress achieved to date would not have been possible. Scientific surgery is based on observation, in clinical research and in experimental research. Although experimentation can be done in humans, respecting ethical standards, usually the surgical research takes place in animals. This text discusses the prominent role that experimental surgery plays in the training of surgeon and in development of clinical surgery. Keywords: experimental surgery; surgeon training; surgical progress; surgery; surgical education: animal experimentation