Cadaver preservation and dissection

Summary Postgraduate cadaver dissection is an unsurpassed method of maintaining and improving one's knowledge of anatomy. Since fresh cadavers are not always available, some form of preservation is often required especially for courses or workshops. A technique using glutaraldehyde is described and its pros and cons compared with the time honored formaldehyde-phenol technique. The method is particularly suitable for cadaver preservation for up to 6 weeks and the treated tissues remain unstained and retain a life-like texture. Such cadavers are ideal for short surgical dissection workshops.