Requirements for performing survival procedures involving the use of anesthesia on USDA-covered species are based on the 2010 edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), PHS Policy, and the USDA Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulations (9 CFR). The Guide states that, in general, "unless an exception is specifically justified as an essential component of the research protocol and approved by the IACUC, aseptic surgery should be conducted in dedicated facilities or spaces." The Guide further states that surgical procedures should include checking for anesthetic depth, assessment of physiologic function and clinical signs and conditions; and the design of the surgical facility should accommodate the species to be operated upon and the complexity of the procedure(s) to be performed. Appropriate provisions for preoperative and postoperative care should be provided in accordance with established veterinary medical and nursing practices as mandated in 9 CFR §2.33(b)(5).
In addition to dogs, cats, and non-human primates, USDA-covered species currently include guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and any other warm-blooded animal with the exception of mice of the genus Mus, rats of the genus Rattus, and birds.
General Guidelines
In keeping with federal regulations, all major survival surgeries1 performed on USDA-covered species must be conducted in a dedicated ARC-approved surgical facility.
As part of UCLA’s emergency plan, investigators utilizing their own laboratories for non-survival surgeries or other non-surgical procedures requiring the use of anesthesia must have a form of emergency lighting available in the event of a power failure.
[1] Major Survival Surgery is defined as any surgical intervention that penetrates and exposes a body cavity or any procedure which produces permanent impairment of physical or physiological functions (9 CFR §1.1). From the Guide (p. 117): "As a general guideline, major survival surgery (e.g., laparotomy, thoracotomy, joint replacement, and limb amputation) penetrates and exposes a body cavity, produces substantial impairment of physical or physiologic functions, or involves extensive tissue dissection or transection (Brown et al. 1993)."
Approved 3/12/01; Revised 7/24/01, 10/11/05, 12/12/22; Updated 1/18/11