Rodent Survival Surgery
IV. Specific Experimental Procedures
D. Rodent Survival Surgery
These guidelines apply to all surgical procedures performed on rodents at the College of Charleston in which the animals are expected to recover from anesthesia). Survival surgery on rodents should be performed using sterile instruments, surgical gloves, masks and aseptic procedures, to reduce microbial contamination of exposed tissues to the lowest practical level. Minor surgical procedures such as wound suturing and peripheral vessel cannulation should be performed in accordance with standard veterinary practices. Specific procedures to accomplish these guidelines can be obtained from your veterinarian.
NIH/ARAC Guidelines for Survival Rodent Surgery (A compact disk with depictions and expanded explanations of the methods recommended in these guidelines is available by sending a request to rodentcd@od.nih.gov)
Surgical Procedures
Pre-Operative:
- Surgery should be conducted in a disinfected (Table 1), uncluttered area which promotes asepsis during surgery.
- Prepare the animal by removing hair from the surgical site. Perform this procedure in an area separate from where the surgery is to be conducted.
- Prepare the surgical site(s) with an appropriate skin disinfectant (Table 2).
- Surgeons should wash and dry their hands before aseptically donning sterile surgical gloves.
Table 1. Recommended Hard Surface Disinfectants (e.g., table tops, equipment)
| Examples * | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohols | 70% ethyl alcohol 85% isopropyl alcohol | Contact time required is 15 minutes. Contaminated surfaces take longer to disinfect. Remove gross contamination before using. Inexpensive. |
| Quaternary Ammonium | Roccal® Quatricide® | Rapidly inactivated by organic matter. Compounds may support growth of gram negative bacteria. |
| Chlorine | Sodium hypochlorite (Clorox® 10% solution) Chlorine dioxide (Clidox®, Alcide®) | Corrosive. Presence of organic matter reduces activity. Chlorine dioxide must be fresh ( <14 Days old ); kills vegetative organisms within 3 minutes of contact. |
| Aldehydes | Glutaraldehyde (Cidex® Cetylcide® Cide Wipes®) | Rapidly disinfects surfaces. |
| Phenolics | Lysol® TBQ® | Less affected by organic material than other disinfectants. |
| Chlorhexidine | Nolvasan® Hibiclens® | Presence of blood does not interfere with activity. Rapidly bactericidal and persistent. Effective against many viruses. |
* The use of common brand names as examples does not indicate a product endorsement.
Table 2. Recommended Skin Disinfectants
| Examples * | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| Iodophors | Betadine® Prepodyne® Wescodyne® | Reduced activity in presence of organic matter. Wide range of microbicidal action. Works best in pH 6-7. |
| Cholorhexidine | Nolvasan® Hibiclens® | Presence of blood does not interfere with activity. Rapidly bactericidal and persistent. Effective against many viruses. Excellent for use on skin. |
* The use of common brand names as examples does not indicate a product endorsement.
Operative:
- The animal must be maintained in a surgical plane of anesthesia throughout the procedure.
- Begin surgery with sterile instruments (Table 3) and handle them aseptically.
- Instruments and gloves may be used for a series of similar surgeries provided they are maintained clean and disinfected (Table 4) between animals.
- Monitor and/or maintain the animal's vital signs.
- Close surgical wounds using appropriate techniques and materials (Table 5).
- Suture gauge selection - Use the smallest gauge suture material that will perform adequately.
- Cutting and reverse cutting needles - Provide edges that will cut through dense, difficult to penetrate tissue, such as skin.
- Non-cutting, taper point or round needles - Have no edges to cut through tissue; used primarily for suturing easily torn tissues such as peritoneum or intestine.
Table 3. Recommended Instrument Sterilants
| Agent | Examples * | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Physical: | ||
| Steam sterilization (moist heat) | Autoclave | Effectiveness dependent upon temperature, pressure and time (e.g., 121oC for 15 min. vs 131oC for 3 min.). |
| Dry Heat | Hot Bead Sterilizer Dry Chamber | Fast. Instruments must be cooled before contacting tissue. |
| Ionizing radiation | Gamma Radiation | Requires special equipment. |
| Chemical: | ||
| Gas sterilization | Ethylene Oxide | Requires 30% or greater relative humidity for effectiveness against spores. Gas is irritating to tissue; all materials require safe airing time. |
| Chlorine | Chlorine Dioxide | Several hours required for sterilization. Instruments must be rinsed with sterile saline or sterile water before use. |
| Glutaraldehydes | Cidex® Cetylcide® Metricide® | Several hours required for sterilization. Corrosive and irritating. Instruments must be rinsed with sterile saline or sterile water before use. |
| Hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid | Actril® Spor-Klenz® | Several hours required for sterilization. Corrosive and irritating. Instruments must be rinsed with sterile saline or sterile water before use. |
* The use of common brand names as examples does not indicate a product endorsement.
Table 4. Recommended Instrument Disinfectants
| Agent | Examples * | Comments ** |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohols | 70% ethyl alcohol 85% isopropyl alcohol | Contact time required is 15 minutes. Contaminated surfaces take longer to disinfect. Remove gross contamination before using. Inexpensive. |
| Chlorine | Sodium hypochlorite (Clorox® 10% solution) Chlorine dioxide (Clidox®, Alcide®) | Corrosive. Presence of organic matter reduces activity. Chlorine dioxide must be fresh; kills vegetative organisms within 3 min. Corrosive to instruments. Instruments must be rinsed with sterile saline or sterile water before use. |
| Cholorhexidine | Nolvasan® Hibiclens® | Presence of blood does not interfere with activity. Rapidly bactericidal and persistent. Effective against many viruses. Instruments must be rinsed with sterile saline or sterile water before use. |
** Always follow manufacturer's instructions.
Table 5. Recommended Wound Closure Selection
| Sutures * | Characteristics & Frequent Uses |
|---|---|
| Vicryl® Dexon® | Absorbable; 60-90 days. Ligate or suture tissues where an absorbable suture is desirable. |
| PDS® Maxon® | Absorbable; 6 months. Ligate or suture tissues especially where an absorbable suture and extended wound support is desirable. |
| Prolene® | Nonabsorbable, Inert. |
| Nylon | Nonabsorbable. Inert. General closure. |
| Silk | Nonabsorbable. (Caution: Tissue reactive and may wick microorganisms into the wound, so silk is not recommended for skin closure). Excellent handling. Preferred for cardiovascular procedures. |
| Chromic Gut | Absorbable. Versatile material. |
| Stainless Steel Wound Clips, Staples | Nonabsorbable. Requires instrument for skin removal. |
| Cyanoacrylate (Vetbond®, Nexaband®) | Skin glue. For non-tension bearing wounds. |
* The use of common brand names as examples does not indicate a product endorsement.
Post-Operative:
- Move the animal to a warm, dry area and monitor it during recovery. Return the animal to its routine housing only after it has fully recovered from anesthesia.
- Provide analgesics as appropriate.
- Generally, remove skin closures 10 to 14 days post-operatively.
- Maintain a surgical record (e.g., annotate cage card with procedure and date; recording the body weight on the day of surgery is strongly recommended.)
Approved: April 5, 2001
Revised: April 19, 2001
Revised: September 11, 2001
Reviewed: August 24, 2012