The focus of the Experimental Surgery Laboratory is research and services in the areas of advanced surgical methods and techniques, cancer research, and drug development. To this end, the Laboratory has computational, in vitro, and animal models (both small and large animals) at its disposal.
Services
- Experimental design, protocol writing, regulatory submission
- SurgX can offer assistance in statistical design (MSc in Biostatistics), protocol writing, and submission to the animal ethical committee.
- Surgical procedures
- Advanced open or laparoscopic procedures, either by the user/client (after appropriate training), by an experienced SurgX staff member, or by a senior clinician from Ghent University Hospital.
- Large animals (pig, sheep, rabbit)
- Solid organ transplantation (pig)
- Kidney
- Liver
- Pancreas
- Uterus
- Advanced laparoscopic and open surgical procedures
- Plastic/reconstructive surgery: microvascular surgery, free flaps, etc
- Thoracic, visceral, urological, vascular procedures
- Locoregional drug delivery (including anticancer therapy): catheter based, aerosolized
- Advanced imaging: hyperspectral, VR, AI based segmentation/classification of laparoscopic images
- Cardiovascular procedures
- Cardio-Circulatory testing
- Physiological heart valve study and device applications
- Congenital heart disease modelling
- Fundamental electrophysiological myocardial tissue testing
- Resynchronisation therapy
- Intrinsic biventricular function analysis
- Cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass
- Conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass in large (sheep, pig) and small animals (dog, cat, rat) for implantation of devices and/or optimizing surgical techniques
- Optimization of cardiopulmonary bypass components
- Optimization of ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) components
- Development of extracorporeal techniques for use during experimental medical techniques (e.g. in vivo isolation of organs for chemotherapy)
- Development of organ perfusion techniques for organ preservation. Evaluation of the suitability of borderline organs for transplantation.
- Component testing according to FDA and CE standards (ISO7199: Cardiovascular implants and artificial organs — Blood-gas exchangers (oxygenators) + FDA Guidance for Cardiopulmonary Bypass Oxygenators 510(k) Submissions):
- Mass transfer
- Coagulation
- Platelet function testing
- Inflammation testing
- Gaseous microemboli testing
- Immediate or delayed autopsy of all organs post experiment
- Platelet labeling (Indium)
- Evaluation of blood-material interaction
- Testing of cardiovascular medical devices (catheters, oxygenators, reservoirs, filters, autotransfusion devices)
- Platelet function testing, Inflammation, coagulation, gaseous microemboli analysis
- Platelet labeling
- Small animals (mouse, rat, hamster)
- Syngeneic and xenografted cancer models (subcutaneous, orthotopic)
- Vascular access: catheter implantation, cannulation
- Laparoscopy and intraperitoneal drug delivery
- In vivo microscopy (dorsal skinfold window chambers)
- Electromotive drug administration, electrostatic precipitation
- Mechanical and biophysical testing
- Implantation, explantation, mechanical testing, and biological/biocompatibility of prostheses, devices, meshes, and other implants
- Measurements of macroscopic and microvascular blood flow
- Measurement of tissue oxygenation and interstitial pressure
- Measurement of hydraulic conductivity and interstitial fluid flow in tissue samples
- Measurement of (visco)elasticity using indentation
- In vitro laparoscopy and intraperitoneal drug delivery models
- Box models
- Realistic 3D model
- PIPAC and electrostatic precipitation
- High speed aerosol imaging
- Possibility to humidify/warm CO2 gas
- Possibility to measure pH, temperature, and relative humidity in the models
- Analysis, reporting, manuscript writing