Bile Duct Catheter (BDC)
| Available in: Rats | 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 bile duct, midline longitudinal incisions are made to the skin and abdominal wall at the level of the bile duct. 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 bile duct. Two pieces of suture are tied around the bile duct inferior to the tributaries from the liver (approximately 2-7 mm apart); the cranial piece is weighted with a small hemostat or needle holder while the caudal piece is loosely tied. The duct is incised, and a sterile catheter is inserted through the weighted cranial suture. An additional piece of suture is used to further anchor the catheter to the duct. The other end of the catheter is inserted through the caudal suture. Once in place, the suture is used to anchor the catheter securely to the duct. Bile is seen flowing freely through the catheter. 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 by sutures 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 the catheter shield is accessed through the incision at the nape. The ventral and dorsal incisions are closed with approved closing materials (suture or stainless steel clips), and the catheter shield 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 BDC model is prepared as described above with regards to surgical site preparation, exposure of the bile duct, tunneling, wound closing, and surgical site disinfection; however, no duct ties or catheters are inserted.
