Evaluation of optimal surgical techniques for intracoelomic transmitter implantation in age-0 lake sturgeon

Abstract We evaluated the effects of incision placement (midline vs. lateral), closure method (absorbable monofilament suture vs. n‐butyl‐ester cyanoacrylate adhesive, Vetbond®, 3 M), and tag burden (PIT-tag only vs. PIT-tag and acoustic transmitter) on survival, post-operative complications (i.e., viscera expulsion, necrosis), incision dehiscence, incision apposition, transmitter retention, incision healing, inflammation, and growth for intracoelomic transmitter implantation in age-0 lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). The risk of death was 5.17 times higher and the risk of viscera expulsion was 6.21 times higher for sturgeon that had midline incisions closed with Vetbond compared to all other treatments. Incision dehiscence probabilities were low for all treatments, except for midline incisions closed with Vetbond. Time to complete incision apposition occurred most quickly in the lateral suture treatment followed closely by the midline suture and lateral vetbond treatment groups. Tissue strength was notably weaker in the midline region. Transmitter retention was 100% for all treatments except for midline incisions closed with Vetbond. Inflammation was low and slightly decreased over time for incisions closed with Vetbond, while incisions closed with suture exhibited significant increases in inflammation levels over time. Incisions closed with suture achieved better healing outcomes initially, but the healing process was 2–3 times more likely to relapse because of severe inflammation compared to lateral incisions closed with Vetbond. Sturgeon with midline incisions closed with Vetbond gained less weight compared to the other treatments, while sturgeon with lateral incisions closed with Vetbond gained similar amounts of weight relative to both suture treatments and the control group. Collectively, results suggest that Vetbond can be effectively used to close small lateral incisions (≤ 8 mm), with a lower risk of severe inflammation compared with sutures. For transmitter implantation, we recommend using a lateral incision through the hypaxial musculature and either closing the incision with suture or Vetbond.