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  6. Surgery Tutorial Performing Surgery

Performing the Surgical Procedure

Location for Rodent Surgery

Rodent surgical procedures may be done in a research laboratory or animal facility procedure room. However, patient preparation (fur removal) and recovery must take place in a location other than the surgical area. The surgical area should be uncluttered and easily disinfected and non-related activities must not occur at the same time.

Surgical Attire

Rodent survival surgery must be performed using sterile gloves, a clean lab coat or gown and a facemask. A head covering is recommended to reduce the risk of stray hair falling into the operative field. The surgeon must either wash their hands with an antimicrobial soap or use an alcohol-based hand disinfectant (cover all surfaces of the hands with the disinfectant and rub until the hands feel dry) prior to putting on sterile gloves. If using alcohol-based hand disinfectant, prewash hands if soiled with organic material (such as blood or urine).

Opening the surgical pack

Place the sterile surgical pack in a convenient location that minimizes the amount of unsterile space between the pack and the draped animal. If the surgeon is working alone, he(she) must open the pack prior to putting on sterile gloves. Otherwise, a (non-sterile) assistant can open the pack for the surgeon.

Draping the surgical site

The skin and hair surrounding the (prepared) surgical site should be covered with a sterile surgical drape. The drape effectively enlarges the sterile area around the surgical site and reduces the chance of contamination. The drape material should be included within the surgical pack and placed after the surgeon has put on sterile gloves. Additional drape material may also be included within the sterile pack and used to set instruments on during surgery.

Maintaining Sterility

Surgeons and support staff must work together to maintain sterility during the surgical procedure. Sterile articles must touch only sterile surfaces and all sterile surfaces should be kept as dry as possible. If contamination of surgical gloves or equipment is suspected, new sterile gloves or equipment must be substituted for the contaminated material. It is advisable to have an assistant available during the procedure as it is difficult to maintain sterility during surgery when working alone. Place sterile instruments on a sterile surface when not in use. Do not touch non-sterile surfaces when wearing sterile gloves.

Using a Glass Bead Sterilizer in Rodent Surgeries

The same set of pre-sterilized instruments may be used for 4-5 animals if surgeries are performed sequentially. Aseptic technique must be followed throughout all procedures and instruments must have been sterilized via autoclave at the start of surgery. The same instruments may be used on multiple animals only if a glass bead sterilizer is used to re-sterilize the tips of instruments between animals. Up to five surgical procedures may be done with one instrument set. After that, a new sterile set of instruments must be used. Please keep the following in mind: 

  • Tissue, blood and other debris must be removed from the instruments before placement in the glass bead sterilizer.
  • The tips of the instruments become extremely hot.
  • The instruments must be allowed to cool before applying them to the skin or other tissues.
  • The tips of delicate instruments may become damaged during immersion in the glass beads.
  • The beads must be pre-heated to the recommended temperature and the instruments exposed for the recommended time (see user instructions for the sterilizer you are using).
  • After removal from the sterilizer, the tips of the instruments must be placed on a sterile surface to cool.

 

Wound Closure and Suturing

Incisions through multiple tissue layers must be closed separately. Poor wound closure technique will result in delayed healing and increased incidence of post-operative infection, as well as animal discomfort and pain. Incisions in tissues underneath the skin (e.g., muscle, subcutaneous tissue) are typically closed using absorbable suture material. Proper suture technique requires practice. Surgical knots must be tied using the correct method and sutures not tied too tightly. Tight sutures inflame the tissues and may cause the animal discomfort. Consult with a veterinarian for advice on wound closure and suture material selection.

Rodent skin incisions are typically closed with stainless steel wound clips. These clips must be sterile and applied aseptically. The incision must be observed daily post-operatively and clips removed in 7-10 days if the wound is healed. Wound clips must not be left in the skin beyond 14 days post-operatively.

Proceed to Postoperative Care