How do you do surgery on fish?

Many people have asked me, “How do you do an operation on a fish? Under water or above water? How do they breathe?”

In a nut shell, it’s done above water and we induce the fish in an anaesthetic bath and maintain the fish under anaesthesia by passing water containing anaesthetic past their gills.

For more details see section in Fish Vetting Essentials or the following article.

Fish surgery

Michael J. Murray DVM ^,^a

^a	Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California USA

Available online 31 May 2006.

As the number and value of captive fishes increases, so too will the indications for surgical intervention by the veterinarian. In general, the most difficult aspect of fishsurgery is the provision of adequate and safe anesthesia, and several different anesthetic regimens are provided. Once one is familiar with the normal anatomy of the piscine patient, the basic concepts of surgery prevail, including appropriate surgical approach, hemostasis, and gentle tissue manipulation. Specific surgical procedures, celiotomy, liver biopsy, renal biopsy, and laparoscopy are discussed. Finally, successful outcome of a surgical manipulation often rests in the postoperative management of the surgical patient. Suggestions for appropriate postoperative management are also discussed.