The pre-operative assessment and post-operative is critical for successful surgical procedures which will in turn lead to high quality outcomes in research studies. The care of the animals going through surgical procedures for any study starts at the moment you order them. Order the animals from the same vendor may avoid variations in the study outcomes. First, I want to point out that it is important to give the animal enough time to recover from the stress induced during the transportation and environment changes, which will reflect negatively later in the studies. Second, I will discuss the best methods to prepare the animal for the surgical procedures in order to avoid pain and reduce chances of infections. Third, I will present surgical techniques and discuss post-operative care.

My objective for this presentation is to facilitate a better understanding of the importance of pre-operative assessment, post-operative care, and surgical techniques. Having a healthy and happy animal will give you the best results for any research study.