MOHAVE COUNTY – Her name is Olga and she looks as real as any human walking around. Her insides are hard and cold and she is kept in an incubator with water when she isn’t in surgery.
Mohave Community College Surgical Technician program has a new SynDaver Synthetic Human for students to learn and get a more hands on experience.
Michelle Diaz, MCC Surgical Technician program Director, said the program is excited to have Olga because they will be able to take the program to the next level.
The SynDaver is an elaborate and sophisticated hands on surgical simulator. It’s a synthetic physical representation of the typical human anatomy including skin, fat, fascia plates, every bone, muscle, tendon and ligament in the body.
Olga also has a functioning respiratory system, including trachea, lungs, diaphragm, a complete digestive tract from the esophagus to the rectum, visceral organs, a circulatory system with heart and coronary arteries, aorta, vena cava and the primary arterial and venous trunks leading to the extremities.
“The students are going to have a stronger foundation based on the ability to use something like this, it’s better than a cadaver because it doesn’t stink and it lasts forever, it will last us over 20 years. It’s really exciting that the students get to have this and that we have this for the program,” Diaz said.
Students in the past had to get creative and used other ways to replicate the human body, like fruit or styrofoam, to still get the hands-on learning experience.
Other MCC Allied Health and Nursing program directors are also planning to use the synthetic human to help their students master various skills.
MCC’s Surgical Technician program is housed on the Lake Havasu campus. The program prepares students to assist surgeons in the surgery room by sterilizing the room, handing instruments and preparing the operating site.
For more information visit the web page for MCC’s Surgical Technology program.
MCC Surgical Technology program director, Michelle Diaz (left), and instructor Julie Clifford demonstrate how students can use Olga the synthetic human.
Michelle Diaz (right) holds life like intestines from the SynDaver model, Olga.