Mouse Surgery
Mouse Surgery - Related Videos
08:28
Rodent Stereotaxic Surgery
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2023
Stereotaxic (or stereotactic) surgery is a method used to manipulate the brain of living animals. This technique allows researchers to accurately target deep structures within the brain through the use of a stereotaxic atlas, which provides the 3D coordinates of each area with respect to anatomical landmarks on the skull. After the skull is exposed, anesthetized animals are mounted on a specialized instrument known as a stereotaxic frame, which enables the precise placement of experimental...
12:13
Considerations for Rodent Surgery
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2016
Source: Kay Stewart, RVT, RLATG, CMAR; Valerie A. Schroeder, RVT, RLATG. University of Notre Dame, IN The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals1 dictates that rodent survival surgery be performed aseptically. Aseptic technique utilizes specific practices that minimize the contamination of the surgical site, including patient preparation, surgeon preparation, sterilization of instruments and other supplies, and the use of a clean and controlled environment. Presurgical planning,...
04:36
Murine Superficial Lymph Node Surgery
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Cited by 10 •
2012
To follow the progression of an immune response over time within the same mouse, lymph nodes can be sequentially removed by surgery. Here, we describe how this technique can be performed.
00:08
Survivable Stereotaxic Surgery in Rodents
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Cited by 50 •
2008
The monitoring of extracellular neurotransmitter levels in distinct brain regions of freely moving animals offers insights on the link between neurotransmitter release and behavior. In vivo microdialysis coupled with electrochemical detection provides excellent anatomical and chemical resolution; and information on how basal neurotransmission is altered by pharmacological or physiological manipulations.
10:29
Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon
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Cited by 56 •
2011
Before attempting surgery, a new surgeon should have training in basic surgical techniques and concepts. This article will present basic surgical considerations with an emphasis on rodents.
FAQs
Anesthesia supports controlled tissue manipulation while reducing pain and limiting physiological disturbance during the operation. Aseptic conditions reduce contamination of the surgical site, helping protect the animal and preserve the validity of experimental outcomes. Together, these safeguards make it easier to distinguish effects caused by the planned intervention from complications associated with surgical stress or infection.
Standardization keeps important features of the operation consistent, including the planned incision, tissue manipulation, treatment or implant placement, closure, and monitoring. When researchers apply these elements systematically, differences between animals are more likely to reflect the experimental intervention rather than variation in technique. This strengthens reproducibility and improves the scientific value of in vivo comparisons.
A surgical model can place a molecular or cellular intervention within an intact living organism, allowing researchers to observe consequences at the level of tissues, physiology, and disease-related outcomes. This whole-animal context is important when isolated molecular findings do not reveal how biological systems respond together, particularly in studies of gene function, cancer, injury, neuroscience, or cardiovascular disease.
A controlled workflow coordinates preparation under anesthesia, aseptic access through a planned incision, the intended tissue manipulation or delivery of an implant or treatment, closure of the surgical site, and monitoring during recovery. Each stage supports the next: careful planning limits unnecessary intervention, while postoperative observation helps identify problems that could affect welfare or experimental interpretation.
Postoperative monitoring should address both recovery and vital status, while also supporting appropriate pain management. Researchers need to determine whether the animal is recovering as expected and whether the procedure has produced complications that could compromise welfare or the study. Consistent observation makes recovery data more comparable and helps preserve the reliability of biological conclusions.
Researchers select these procedures when they need to examine disease, injury, anatomy, physiology, or an experimental intervention in vivo. Applications described for mouse surgery include cancer, neuroscience, cardiovascular disease, and gene-function studies. The approach is especially informative when the research question requires relationships among molecular or cellular changes, tissue responses, and outcomes in the whole animal.