120-24 Optimal Suturing Technique and Number of Sutures for Surgical Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Juvenile Salmonids
The size reduction of acoustic transmitters has led to a reduction in the length of incision needed to implant a transmitter. Smaller suture knot profiles and fewer sutures may be adequate for closing an incision used to surgically implant an acoustic transmitter. As a result, faster surgery times and reduced tissue trauma could lead to increased survival and decreased infection for implanted fish. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of five suturing techniques (various suture numbers, suture patterns, and knot types) on mortality, tag and suture retention, incision openness, ulceration, and redness in juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System acoustic transmitters. Suturing was performed by three surgeons and study fish were held at two water temperatures (12°C and 17°C). Mortality was low and tag retention was high for all treatments on all examination days (7, 14, 21, 28 days post-surgery). Since there was surgeon variation in suture retention among the treatments, further analyses only included the one surgeon who received feedback training in all suturing techniques. Incision openness and tissue redness did not differ among the treatments. The only difference observed among treatments was in tissue ulceration. Incisions closed with a horizontal mattress pattern had more ulceration than other treatments among fish held for 28 d at 17°C. Results from this study suggest that one simple interrupted 1x1x1x1 suture is adequate for closing small incisions (~8 mm) on fish under most circumstances. However, the authors do not advise a single suture closure for fish likely to experience rapid decompression (similar to turbine passage) due to the likelihood of viscera expulsion. In dynamic environments, two simple interrupted 1x1x1x1 sutures should provide adequate incision closure.
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