Realists - Case Studies

LACMISS 2025: First-Ever Fully Simulated Training in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Revolutionizing Spine Surgery Education in Latin America

LACMISS (Latin America Course – Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery) emerged as part of the global expansion program of EUCMISS (European Course for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery), following a previous collaboration with NYCMISS at Weill Cornell Medicine. Before LACMISS 2025, specialized surgical education in minimally invasive spine techniques in Latin America was limited, and most Latin American surgeons had to travel to Europe or the United States to access advanced training. Additionally, traditional spine surgery training relied on the use of cadaveric specimens, which presented ethical, religious, moral, and hygiene challenges.

Challenge

The organizers of LACMISS 2025 faced several significant challenges:

 

  • Educational innovation: How to provide high-quality surgical training without using cadavers?
  • Geographical accessibility: How to bring specialized training to Latin American surgeons without them having to travel abroad?
  • Technical diversity: How to cover multiple minimally invasive surgical techniques in a single educational event?
  • International logistics: How to transport and set up advanced simulation technology from Germany to Mexico?

Solutions

To address these challenges, LACMISS 2025 implemented the following solutions: 

 

Implementation of RealLab Mobile:

 

  • Revolutionary simulation approach: It became the first course in the world to cover multiple minimally invasive spine surgery techniques using exclusively simulation models, completely abandoning the use of cadavers.
  • Strategic alliance with Realists Training Technologies: Through the RealLab Mobile service, the entire training experience was transported from Leipzig, Germany, to Guadalajara, Mexico, bringing European technology closer to Latin American surgeons. As Realists describes in their event documentation: “LACMISS wasn’t just a training event, but a demonstration of how surgical training can transcend geographical limitations without compromising quality”.
  • Meticulous workstation design: 12 stations were created allowing participants to practice various minimally invasive techniques, including MISTLIF, ALIF, LLIF, endoscopy, augmented reality, tubular decompression, cervical foraminotomy, and deformity correction.
  • International leadership: The course was co-directed by a team of internationally recognized experts: Dr. Avelino Parajón, Jesus Lafuente, Michael Dittmar, and Miguel Angel Andrade Ramos, with the participation of world-renowned specialists such as Richard Fessler and Ali A. Baaj MD, along with local experts.
  • Industry collaboration: The event was made possible thanks to collaboration with various industry partners, including ZEISS Vision, elliquence, REBSTOCK INSTRUMENTS GMBH, Paradigm Spine GmbH, Baxter International Inc., Baakintegra, Tecnología Spine, and Globaltech Medical Devices.

Replicable Model of RealLab Mobile

The process implemented by Realists Training Technologies constitutes a replicable model that could be applied in other educational contexts:


  • Shared vision: The process begins with close collaboration between Realists experts and local organizers to design a personalized training program that meets specific objectives.
  • Meticulous planning: Each workstation is meticulously planned – from the optimal rotation of simulators to the number of vertebral levels that can be practiced per participant, maximizing learning time and experience.
  • Exclusive technology: The deployment of the complete portfolio of realistic simulators for spine surgery (RealSpine), which offers unique and innovative training experiences.
  • Impeccable logistics: Transporting a complete surgical training laboratory requires impeccable logistics and coordination with medical technology companies, ensuring that every model, instrument, and technological component arrives in perfect condition.
 

This comprehensive approach allows educational institutions from any part of the world to access high-level training experiences, overcoming geographical barriers without compromising quality.

Realists Training Technologies. (2025). RealLab Mobile: The LACMISS Story Told From REALISTS’ Perspective

Results

The LACMISS 2025 event, held on March 13-14, 2025, at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Mexico, produced significant results:

 

  • Establishment of an educational milestone: LACMISS 2025 marked the first course of its kind in Latin America and represented a significant milestone in global surgical education.
  • Significant local participation: The event primarily attracted spine surgeons from Mexico, who showed great enthusiasm for learning the latest MIS techniques.
  • Validation of the simulation approach: The success of the event demonstrated how surgical training can transcend geographical limitations without compromising quality, validating the effectiveness of simulation-based training as an alternative to cadaveric specimens.
  • Assured continuity: The success of the event laid the groundwork for future iterations, with plans already established for LACMISS 2026.
  • Impact on educational standards: LACMISS 2025 established a new standard for surgical training in Latin America and reinforced the global movement toward more accessible, ethical, and effective methods of surgical education.

Lessons Learned

From this case study, we can extract several important lessons:


  • Educational innovation: Advanced technological simulation can provide viable and effective alternatives to traditional training methods in complex surgical procedures.
  • International collaboration: The association between educational and technological institutions from different continents can accelerate the transfer of knowledge and technology.
  • Cultural adaptation: Educational technology must be adapted to the specific needs and contexts of different regions.
  • Overcoming geographical barriers: The mobility of training technology can democratize access to advanced medical education.
  • Ethical sustainability: Advances in medical simulation allow balancing the need for practical training with ethical, religious, and hygiene considerations.

This case demonstrates how technological innovation and international collaboration can transform specialized medical education, making it more accessible, ethical, and effective for professionals from regions traditionally less favored in terms of access to advanced training.

Return to Case Studies