TITLE:
Assessment of a Novel Surgical Technique for Acoustic Transmitter Insertion
AUTHORS:
Ashley N. Kelican, Nathan Huysman, Lauren Anne Van Rysselberge, Jill M. Voorhees, Michael E. Barnes
KEYWORDS:
Rainbow Trout, Acoustic Transmitter, Surgery, Unsutured
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
19,
2021
ABSTRACT: This
study compared three surgical techniques to implant acoustic transmitters in
rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): 1) acoustic transmitter insertion via a ventral incision closed with two sutures,
2) insertion via a ventral incision with no sutures, 3) insertion via a lateral incision with no sutures. A control group consisting of
fish that were only anesthetized and handled was also included. Tag retention,
wound healing, inflammation, growth, and survival were recorded over a 12-week
period. Tag retention was significantly different among the treatments, at 100%
in the unsutured ventral incision group, 89% in the lateral incision group, and
63% in the sutured ventral incision group. Surgical wounds in the unsutured
treatment groups showed significantly less inflammation than the sutured
treatment. Wound closure occurred significantly faster in the ventral incision
groups compared to the lateral incision group. The results of this study show
the utility of using unsutured surgical methods for implanting acoustic
transmitters in rainbow trout.