Compromising on full asepsis – batch surgery 

In some circumstances a particular surgical procedure will need to be undertaken on a group of animals – this is often referred to as batch surgery. Using the same set of instruments for the whole batch compromises aseptic technique. However if a ‘no touch’ technique is employed (ensuring that the instrument tips alone come into contact with the animal) and the tips of the instruments are re-sterilised between each animal, major breaks in aseptic technique can be avoided.