[The importance of animal research for experimental surgery]

Animal experiments in biomedical research are ethically indispensable to minimize risks and to objectify superiority of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Innovative models allow understanding of complex systems and to formulate new hypotheses, however due to inherent limits cannot replace animal research. The high degree of complexity required for surgical experiments can often be achieved in small animals and allows to save domestic animals. Further expansion of biomedical research will not be associated with a greater number of animal studies.