SURGICAL SERVICES - NORTH AMERICA Vagotomy—Multiple Level Surgery Code: VAGOX-SD, VAGOX or VAGOX-STM The vagotomy procedure is a valuable tool in preclinical or research studies that involve an early immune response. Animal Models • Postoperative holding period: At a minimum, post-op animals are held for 3 days, with the majority of animals Typical selections are listed below; however, choices shipping within 7 days of surgery. for strain, age and weight may be limited due to model anatomy and/or physiological conditions. • Maintenance: Incision wound clips should be removed 7-10 days after surgery. VAGOX @ Subdiaphragmatic Level (VAGOX-SD): • Rats: male/female, weight 90-250 g Surgical Summary VAGOX @ Stomach Level (VAGOX-STM): In all procedures, the animal is placed in dorsal • Rats: male/female, weight 90-250 g recumbancy and a midline abdominal skin incision is VAGOX @ Hepatic Level (VAGOX): made. The lobes of the liver are retracted cranially while • Mice: male/female, weight 24-32 g the stomach is retracted caudally to expose the animal’s • Rats: male/female, weight 90-250 g diaphragm. The abdominal vagus nerve consists of two primary trunks penetrating the diaphragm: the dorsal and Procedure Details the ventral trunks, with the ventral trunk branching into the • Perioperative care: Please view our Pre- and hepatic, accessory celiac and ventral gastric branches. Postoperative Care Sheet, which can be found at www.criver.com/opcare. Subdiaphragmatic Approach (Standard method for rat) • Housing: The animals may be group housed. In the subdiaphragmatic approach, each of the main vagus • Diet: No special diet is required. nerve trunks is carefully isolated below the diaphragm • Sham surgery: The surgery protocol is followed up from the surrounding connective tissue and overlying through the creation of the abdominal incision. After vasculature. A small (2-3 mm) section is excised from opening the abdominal cavity, the incisions are closed each of the isolated vagal nerve trunks. The abdominal as cited in the surgical summary. incision is closed with sutures and the skin incision is closed with wound clips. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY www.criver.com © 2017, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. Surgical Summary (continued) IACUC Stomach Approach The Charles River Institutional Animal Care and Use (Standard method for rat) Committee (IACUC) governs the entire surgical process, In the stomach approach, the ventral vagus nerve is including all anesthesia, analgesia, animal preparation and located where it exits the diaphragm and the gastric any postoperative holding in Charles River facilities prior to branches are identified. From 5-6 mm above the cardia shipment. Review of experimental protocols, authorization (the point where the esophagus and stomach connect to to order animals that are surgically modified from Charles the diaphragm), a 6-8 mm section of each gastric branch River, and all aspects concerning the use of the animals is carefully isolated from the surrounding connective tissue after they arrive at the institution are the responsibility of and overlying vasculature and excised. The abdominal the receiving institution’s IACUC. incision is closed with sutures and the skin incision is Contact Us closed with wound clips. For more information, visit www.criver.com/surgery. For specific surgery-related questions, please contact our Hepatic Approach technical experts at 1.877.CRIVER.1 (1.877.274.8371) (Standard method for mouse) or [email protected]. To place an order or get In the hepatic approach, the ventral vagus nerve is located a quote, contact our Customer Service Department at where it exits the diaphragm and the hepatic branches are 1.800.LABRATS (1.800.522.7287). identified. The branches that come from the ventral vagal nerve trunk are carefully isolated from the connective tissue and a small (1-2 mm) section is excised from the isolated hepatic branch. The abdominal incision is closed with sutures and the skin incision is closed with wound clips. [email protected] • www.criver.com.