The removal of eyes, also called enucleation, provides a useful strategy to study aspects of visual, cross-modal, and developmental plasticity along the mammalian visual system since it induces irreversible partial (monocular) or complete (binocular) vision loss. Here we describe a highly reproducible and straightforward approach to perform in vivo enucleation.
Total time
~45 min per mouse (surgery + immediate post-operative monitoring)
Model organism
Mouse (post-eye opening)
Steps
1
Prepare surgical site and anesthetize mouse
Position the mouse and induce general anesthesia. Prepare the periocular area with antiseptic protocol and drape for sterile surgery.
▶ 01:22
2
Perform enucleation and retrobulbar tissue management
Access the eye through conjunctival incision, sever extraocular muscles, and remove the eye and optic nerve. Achieve hemostasis in the retrobulbar space.
▶ 02:56
3
Manage post-operative wound and anesthesia recovery
Close surgical site with appropriate sutures. Monitor recovery from anesthesia and manage post-operative analgesia per protocol.
▶ 04:16
4
Validate enucleation success and assess plasticity outcomes
Confirm complete eye removal and absence of residual ocular tissue. Document plasticity changes in visual system or cross-modal compensation as applicable.
▶ 03:45