Gastric Catheter (IGC)
| Available in: Rats and Mice | Anesthetics | Analgesic |
| Pre-Operative Procedures | Intra-Operative Care | Post-Operative Care |
Surgical Preparation
The animal is anesthetized and clipped over the abdominal region and at the nape. Sterile eye lubricant is placed in both eyes, and the clipped skin area over the abdominal wall is surgically prepared. The animal is placed in dorsal recumbency on a surgery board fitted with a sterile board drape. Analgesic is administered.
Surgical Description
The surgical site is draped with a sterile drape. To expose the stomach, midline longitudinal incisions are made to the skin and abdominal wall at the level of the gastric area. Padded retractors are used to increase surgical visibility. A dissecting scope may be required for the remainder of this procedure. Surrounding tissues are gently cleared using blunt dissection to expose the stomach. A purse sting suture technique is applied to the stomach in such a way as to not disturb gastric blood flow. An incision is made to the gastric wall within the purse string, and the catheter is inserted caudally, toward the pylorus. Once the catheter is in place, the purse string is used to anchor it. A small amount of saline is pushed through the catheter, and the abdominal cavity is flushed with sterile saline.
Surgical Closing
The ventral abdominal incision is closed with approved closing materials and the catheter is tacked to the abdominal wall. The animal is turned to permit access to the dorsal area where the catheter will be tunneled through to an exit site on the nape. The clipped area of the nape is surgically prepared, and a small (approximately 2-7 mm), midline incision is made to the skin between the shoulder blades. The catheter is tunneled under the skin and accessed through the incision at the nape. A small amount of saline is pushed through the catheter before it is filled with a locking solution (optional) and the catheter is plugged. The ventral and dorsal incisions are closed with approved closing materials (suture or stainless steel clips), and the catheter plug is anchored to the closing material. Excess catheter is tucked under the skin, and the surgery sites are treated with an approved disinfectant followed by an alcohol swabbing.
Sham
A standard sham IGC model is prepared as described above with regards to surgical site preparation, exposure of the stomach, tunneling, wound closing, and surgical site disinfection; however, no dissection occurs and no gastric ties or catheters are inserted.
