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Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon
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Rodent surgeries: who is performing them and how?
Felix Gantenbein1, Sonja Hartnack2, Stephan Zeiter3
1Zurich Integrative Rodent Physiology (ZIRP), Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Laboratory Animals
|March 13, 2025
Summary
Most researchers performing rodent surgery lack medical backgrounds and often neglect good surgical practices, impacting animal welfare and study validity. Tailored, mandatory training is crucial for improving laboratory rodent surgery outcomes and surgeon well-being.
Area of Science:
- Laboratory animal science
- Surgical research
- Veterinary medicine
Background:
- Experimental surgery in rodents is vital for research, yet surgical training standards vary globally.
- Good surgical practice is essential for animal welfare, recovery, and study validity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess surgical education, experience, infrastructure, and adherence to good surgical practice in European laboratory rodent surgery.
- To identify areas for improvement in training and surgical protocols for rodent models.
Main Methods:
- Two online surveys with 72 questions were distributed across Europe.
- 782 complete responses from researchers performing rodent surgery were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Most rodent surgeons lack a medical background.
- Key aspects of good surgical practice (e.g., sterile technique) are inconsistently applied.
- Half of rodent surgeons lack assistance, and many desire further training.
Conclusions:
- Current rodent surgery training is inadequate and should be tailored to individual knowledge levels.
- Mandatory, advanced surgical training is recommended for laboratory rodent researchers.
- Improved training can enhance both animal welfare and researcher proficiency.
