Since my appointment in 2008 the focus of my work has been the Thiel embalming of human cadavers. This is a soft-fix embalming technique that leaves the cadavers much more life-like, unlike formalin embalming.

In our pilot study we have explored the following questions:

• How does Thiel embalming affect our current activities in which long-lasting dissection courses are key?
• How much potential is there for new collaborations and to develop new activities?
• What are the practical implications of changing our embalming method? What does it mean for our facilities, our staffing and our procedures?

The cadavers are now routinely used for surgical and clinical training, for evaluation of new products, and in research projects. They have been dissected by MSc students and by our teaching staff.

The image illustrates how superficial structures, such as veins and nerves in the fore-arm, can easily be identified and separated from surrounding tissues.

I do not teach on any courses, but I work closely with teaching staff that use our cadavers. This includes CAHID dissection courses, but also surgical training and clinical skills training for more advanced students and professionals.

Journal papers:

• MR Imaging of Thiel-embalmed human cadavers. M. Gueorguieva, D.T.B. Yeo, R. Eisma, Andreas Melzer; JMRI, in press.
• From Formalin to Thiel Embalming: What Changes? One Anatomy Department’s Experiences. R. Eisma, C. Lamb, R.W. Soames; Clinical Anatomy (in print)
• Liver displacement during ventilation in Thiel embalmed human cadavers – a possible model for research and training in minimally invasive therapies. R. Eisma, M. Gueorguieva, E. Immel, R. Toomey, G.McLeod, R.Soames, A. Melzer; Minimally Invasive Therapy. 2013; in press
• Translation of sonoelastography from Thiel cadaver to patients for peripheral nerve blocks.
  Munirama S, Satapathy AR, Schwab A, Eisma R, Corner GA, Cochran S, Soames R, McLeod GA.
  Anaesthesia; 2012 Jul;67(7):721-8
• Echogenic regional anaesthesia needles: a comparison study in Thiel cadavers.
  Guo S, Schwab A, McLeod G, Corner G, Cochran S, Eisma R, Soames R.
  Ultrasound Med Biol; 2012 Apr;38(4):702-7.
• A qualitative assessment of human cadavers embalmed by Thiel's method used in laparoscopic training for renal resection.
  Prasad Rai B, Tang B, Eisma R, Soames RW, Wen H, Nabi G.
  Anat Sci Educ; 2012 May-Jun;5(3):182-6.
• McLeod G, Eisma, R., Schwab, A., Corner, G., Soames, R., Cochran, S., “An evaluation of the Thiel embalmed cadavers for ultrasound based regional anaesthesia training and research”. Ultrasound. 2010;18: 125-9
• Eisma, R., S. Mahendran, Majumdar, S., Smith, D., Soames, R. W., (2011). "A comparison of Thiel and formalin embalmed cadavers for thyroid surgery training." Surgeon 9(3): 142-146.
• Robinson, C., Eisma, R., Morgan, B., Jeffery, A., Graham, E. A. M., Black, S. and Rutty, G. N. (2008), Anthropological Measurement of Lower Limb and Foot Bones Using Multi-Detector Computed Tomography. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 53: 1289–1295

Other:

Thiel project newsletter

I contribute to forensic case work when this involves CT scans.

I have presented our work with Thiel cadavers to anatomists, surgeons, scientists and product developers. Since the start of the project the cadavers have been used for R&D of medical devices, products and techniques, such as new surgical retractors, surgical tools, hip and shoulder prostheses, mortuuary cooling system, laryngoscopes, laparoscopic devices, echogenic needles and ultrasound transducers.

Our cadavers have been used in courses in Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anaesthesia (UGRA), thyroidectomy, laparoscopic colorectal surgery, laparoscopic bariatric surgery, rhioplasty, postgraduate orthopaedic training, MRI guided interventions, hernia repair and joint replacement.