Pigs can help humans

Re “Medical school use of live pigs criticized,” March 27

So it’s OK to slaughter pigs for ham and bacon but not to use them to train physicians to benefit humans? For years at UCLA we had an excellent and ultra-popular course to teach skin surgeons how to best repair defects after skin cancer removal. Such operations require skill in maneuvering and repositioning living skin. The pigs were anesthetized for the surgery just as are humans; no suffering.

Do we want excellent medical care or not? How can we teach these skills when there is no practical substitute? There are no human volunteers. Why must we be repeatedly intimidated to sacrifice medical excellence by a bunch of headline-grabbing screwballs?

Robert Kotler MD

Beverly Hills

The writer is a clinical instructor at UCLA.