So suppose you weren’t paying attention at your last surgery class, missing out on the lesson on surgical incisions could be disastrous to your career. Well, not any more at least. Developers at Durham and Ulster University, UK, have come up with ‘Incisions’-a unique surgical gown having nine individual zips that show where surgeons make incisions in the body for various operations such as appendix removal or even open heart surgeries.

The Incisions gown is made from a silk material resembling human tissue. Medical students are to wear these gowns in classrooms whilst the others learn about surgical incisions using the strategically placed zips.

In comparison to the traditional use of plastic models that show certain areas of the body and where incisions can be only roughly made , the ‘Incisions’ brings a more human feel to the procedure. It gives the students a sense of feeling if they were patients themselves and even show the type of texture they would find once an incision were to be made.

Prof. John McLachlan, Associate Dean at the Durham University’s school for health and also a leading medical developer reasons that while current plastic anatomical aids do work, they do not account for the emotional involvement between surgeon and patient. The use of these aides has led to the desensitation of medical professionals resulting in the unfortunate objectifying of patients. Patients are largely identified by their condition rather than their own names.

Developers of the ‘Incisions’ hope it will help widen the scope of teaching, learning and thinking as related to medical sciences through art . It is to aid the students beyond the classrooms and should significantly enhance understanding of surgical procedures. The ‘Incisions’ gown is to be exhibited next at the Museum of Science in Boston, USA opening on Thursday. Medical students kindly leave yours at the door. We’re not planning on making a fashion statement.