A rodent surgical area can be a room or part of a room that is easily sanitized and not used for other activities when rodent surgery is in progress. The area preferably can be subdivided so that there are specific places for cages of rodents awaiting or recovering from surgery, preparing rodents for surgery, and performing the surgery. Rodent surgery should not be performed in or in front of an exhaust hood because air and particulates from throughout the laboratory are drawn over the surgical field. Prior to surgery, clean and disinfect the surgical surface and any associated equipment. Quaternary ammonium, iodophor and phenolic disinfectants used to sanitize animal facilities should not be used on surgical instruments.
Alcohol is neither a sterilant nor a high level disinfectant.
Instruments sterilized using chemical sterilants must be rinsed with sterile water or saline prior to use. Glass bead sterilizers are effective and economical for small numbers of instruments. Surgeries may be performed on multiple animals during a single session using a single sterile surgical pack. Maintaining sterile instruments when performing repetitive rodent surgery is a challenge. Segregating surgical instruments according to function can reduce contamination.