Rodent surgeries: who is performing them and how?

Surgery is an integral part of many experimental studies. Good surgical practice is a prerequisite for surgical success, optimal animal welfare, and it not only improves post-operative recovery but also the overall outcome and validity of a study. Rodents, especially mice, are the most commonly used laboratory animals and the legal requirements to perform experimental surgery are identical for all species. However, minimum surgical training requirements vary significantly across countries, ranging from basic introductory courses in animal experimentation to supervised, advanced courses led by expert surgeons; this complicates efforts toward standardization. This study provides insight into surgical education and experience, available infrastructure, workplace satisfaction, and the application of good surgical practice in laboratory rodent surgery. Two online surveys with a total of 72 questions were distributed across Europe and 782 complete responses were received and subsequently analyzed. The results showed that most researchers performing rodent surgery have no medical background. Furthermore, good surgical practice (i.e., sterile gowning and gloving, decontaminating and draping the patient, using sterile equipment) seems to be poorly implemented in rodent surgery. In addition, half of all rodent surgeons have no assistance available and most respondents expressed a desire for continued education and courses to deepen and refine their surgical skills. Consequently, training for rodent surgery should be tailored to the surgeon's preexisting knowledge, and additional surgical training should be made mandatory before performing surgery on laboratory rodents. This could improve both the animals' and the surgeons' welfare.