Murine Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Surgical Procedure to Downsize Stomach in Experimental Mouse Models

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing a significant portion of the stomach along its greater curvature. To begin, prep an anesthetized mouse in the supine position.

Sterilize the abdominal skin with a suitable disinfectant. Incise the body wall from the mid-abdomen to the beginning of the breast bone to expose the stomach. Elevate the stomach from the abdominal cavity.

Dissect the greater omentum, or the layer of peritoneal tissue attached to the greater curvature of the stomach, to free up the organ.

Next, locate the short gastric artery extending from the spleen and supplying blood to the greater curvature of the stomach. Place two ligatures along the artery and cut between them to sever the vascular connection.

Identify the intended transection line. Locate the blood vessels extending towards the region of the stomach to be transected and ligate them just below the transection line to prevent blood loss.

Next, suture the opposing gastric walls below the transection line to seal them and prevent gastric content spillage. Now, clamp a hemostat above the sutured region to appropriately stage the transection line. Cut along the transection line to remove the unwanted gastric tissue.

Return the downsized stomach into the abdominal cavity. Suture the incisions and allow the mouse to recover.