Rodent Surgery – The proper care of rodent surgical instruments

The proper care of rodent surgical instruments enables successful surgeries and saves money. However, this topic commonly receives little attention during rodent surgical workshops. A surgeon depends on their instruments to perform specific functions during surgical procedures. Instrument can prolong the surgical procedure and / or increase the risk of surgical complications. For example, if the metzenbaum scissors are dull, the surgeon might have to make several attempts to incise tissue, thereby increasing injury to the tissues. This also prolongs the surgical and anesthetic time. This can be prevented by appropriate care of the instruments. First, surgical instruments should be cleaned immediately after surgery. Even though the majority of the instruments are made of stainless steel they will still stain. Instrument staining can lead to rusting, which will require the replacement of instruments, adding unnecessary costs. Cleaning procedures should include rinsing the instrument, removing debris and then they should be washed. The washing process should use neutral pH cleaning solutions. Solutions such as dish soap, Chlorohexidine, surgical scrub or any solution with high chlorine content breaks down stainless steel and will lead to spotting and corrosion. This wasing process should be followed by ultrasonic cleaning.  Ultrasonic cleaning cleans the parts that are difficult to reach, like the hinges where debris can hide and evade manual cleaning. Studies have shown that ultrasonic cleaning cleans 16 times better than manual washing. Instruments should then be rinsed and dried. It is imperative that surgical instruments are completely dried to prevent rusting. Drying should be performed with a towel. This prevents spotting and rusting which can occur when instruments are left to air-dry. The last step involves lubricating the instruments, especially the instruments with hinges. This lubrication must be performed with special surgical instrument lubricant.  In conclusion, good care of rodent surgical instruments, leads to excellent instrument performance, increased instrument life and avoids unnecessary repair costs, and extends the life of rodent surgical instruments. Read more at the Veterinary Bioscieince's blog www.vetbiotech.com/blog.php