Surgery
Related Policies
- UW-4109, Expired Drugs and Medical Materials
- UW-4097, Storage of Sterile Materials
- UW-4092, Repair and Replacement Surgeries
- UW-4111,Training Requirements
- UW-4088, Sedatives, Analgesics, and Anesthetics
- UW-4091, Medical, Surgical, Anesthetic Records
- UW-4095, Standards for Surgical and Post-surgical Care
- Contacts
Use aseptic technique during surgery to minimize the possibility of introducing infection. Antibiotics do NOT replace aseptic techniques.
NOTE: Exceptions or deviations from the standards below must be scientifically justified in the applicable animal protocol and approved by an IACUC.
standards for aseptic surgery
- handle tissue gently to minimize tissue damage
- sterilize all instruments, supplies, and implanted materials for each surgery session; sterilization can be by autoclave, gas, liquid chemical sterilant.
- for rodent surgeries, maintain sterility of instruments using a glass bead sterilizer ( available on loan from RARC) or by cold sterilization in appropriate solutions (e.g., Clidox), with a rinse in sterile water or saline
- contact an attending veterinarian to find acceptable surgery facilities on campus
- for non-rodents, use a dedicated surgery suite with these functional components:
- surgical support (place to clean surgical packs, autoclave, etc.)
- animal preparation area (for shaving and scrubbing animal)
- surgeon's scrub area
- actual operating room
- post-op recovery area
- for rodents, use of a dedicated surgery suite is not required, but a clean uncluttered area not used for other purposes during the surgery is necessary.
- prepare the animal for surgery by:
- shaving or plucking hair
- scrubbing with surgical scrub
- doing a final "rinse" with alcohol/povidone-iodine solution
- prepare the surgeon with a:
- surgical scrub
- mask, booties
- sterile gown and gloves
- clean lab coat (rodent surgeries)
during surgery
- Maintenance of normal body temperature is vital to survival in small animals
after surgery
- document post-op recovery monitoring (see anesthesia records)
monitor until normal righting reflexes return - remove wound clips, sutures, staples, etc. within 14 days of the surgery-be sure to DOCUMENT.
- maintenance of normal body temperature during recovery is vital to survival in small animals.
post-op monitoring
- After full recovery from anesthesia and its return to its home cage, the animal must be examined and the findings recorded according to the following conditions and schedules.
animal can stand and move but is not eating and drinking normally:
- call a lab animal veterinarian
- examine the animal twice daily
- check heart rate, respiration rate, and color*
- check condition of the surgical site
- check body temperature; if abnormal take appropriate steps to correct*
- assess hydration and provide fluids as necessary
- assess animal behavior
- consider use of analgesic medication (as per protocol); record time, route of administration, and dosage provided
*Monitoring some parameters may not be feasible in some species.
animal is active, alert, eating, and drinking normally:
- examine daily for a minimum of five days if an invasive procedure was performed (three days for a noninvasive procedure, such as imaging)
- maintain a record of surgical site care until the sutures or skin staples are removed; sutures should be removed within 10-14 days of surgery
animal is normal and skin sutures have been removed:
- specific postsurgical care is no longer required; the record ends