UCB Biopharma, Belgium

Remie

I had the chance to follow the basic module B training in May 2022. In a family atmosphere, the 5 days are articulated between: – theoretical readings: anesthesia, analgesia, asepsis, etc. – demonstrations: a camera installed on the microscope retransmits the image on a large screen which allows the students to follow all the steps perfectly – practical exercises: first on silicone  material then on animals (mouse or rat as preferred by the student) Prof. René Remie has a thorough knowledge of rodent surgery and is always happy to answer any questions. The training center is a shared center where the diversity of books, articles, equipment, and consumables is impressive. There is no retention of information, students have free access to all teaching materials. During this training, I was able to learn and experience the catheterization of the portal vein, the bile duct (with recirculation in the duodenum), the jugular vein, the femoral vein, and the placement of a button in rats! I now have to practice these surgeries and perform them under sterile conditions. I highly recommend this training.

Bioelectronics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Remie

Participating in the 5 days microsurgery training at RRSSC was a great experience and moved forward our project so much. Implementing all the good advice and skills we took home from Almere are now daily business in our lab. Many thanks to René, his team and family for the warm welcome”.

Kent Scientific and RRSSC organize a 2-days workshop on anaesthesiology and surgical techniques

RemieGeen categorie

Kent Scientific (KSC) and RRSSC have joined forces to organize a 2-day workshop on anaesthesiology and surgical techniques. This training aims at participants who want to get more insight into administering injectable and inhalation anaesthetics whilst monitoring vital physiological parameters in rats and mice. The second day offers the possibility to learn or refine some basic (micro)surgical techniques. Researchers still work with conventional evaporators designed for humans and large laboratory animals. KSC designed the SomnoFlo®, a low-flow electronic vaporizer with an automated delivery system. It uses either ambient air with an internal air pump or compressed gas. It delivers only the anaesthetic required by the animal according to its weight, with flows down to 0.05 LPM. Using less anaesthetic benefits the animal during procedures, and significantly reduces the risk of exposure to lab personnel from waste anaesthetic gas. Monitoring vital signs during research protocols is critical to achieving successful outcomes, acquiring reliable research data and publishing reproducible findings. The KSC physiological monitors for pulse oximetry, heart rate, end-tidal CO2, and temperature provide state-of-the-art performance while ensuring animal well-being. To that end, Kent Scientific, in collaboration with the RRSSC, proposes a training workshop at the RRSSC in Almere, The Netherlands. The training lasts two days (16 hours). The program of the 2-day KSC/RRSSC workshop will be available shortly. Course dates for 2024 will be May 7 – 8, 2024.

S. L. Walker – University of Edinburgh, UK

Remie

I attended a 5-day rodent surgery training session with RRSSC in October 2020. This training occurred at the start of my PhD and I am very glad that I had this training so early on in my career. René’s knowledge and experience are phenomenal and I believe that having this training has provided me with a brilliant base set of skills to carry forwards in my research. René explained the key parts of rodent based research – including suturing, anaesthesia, instruments, asepsis, surgical techniques, and using a microscope. The way in which he explains their importance in research means that you understand why you are doing different processes, not just that you have to do them – I found this very beneficial and it has given me more understanding as to why certain things are done the way they are. René’s knowledge of the history behind rodent surgery and research is also outstanding, which brings even more of a relevance to the work that you are doing. The second part of the course was tailored to the different techniques that we needed to learn for our own research. For me, this included injections into the hepatic portal vein (HPV), injections under the kidney capsule, and an attempt at catheterising the HPV in mice. René explained to us how to do the specific techniques, watched us perform them, and gave us tips on how to refine our technique to ensure more success and in ways which are more beneficial to the recovery of the animal, which was especially helpful as I had no previous microsurgery experience. René’s ‘goal-orientated’ methodology and constant reminding of basic skills ensured that we were performing complex procedures in ways that were sustainable for when this is applied to actual experiments, and in the best interests of …

University of Cambridge, UK

Remie

I have never attended a training course where I felt more welcome, nor had my needs catered for so perfectly. The course truly was tailor-made to the specific procedures I needed to learn whilst providing a solid grounding in the basics so that I can advance and refine my own work in the future. The training team was most generous with their time and expertise. Rene’s experience is invaluable; I left with far more knowledge, understanding, and skill than I ever expected to obtain in 5 days – there are elements to his teaching that you simply won’t find anywhere else, and his passion for animal welfare is clear. Those who have benefited from this training will be practicing the highest standards from both ethical and technical aspects – I would consider this training compulsory for any researcher planning to incorporate microsurgery into their work.

Singapore University, 2019

Remie

“The course in experimental research techniques will get you up to speed with all the microsurgical procedures required for your project in no time. I participated in the course as a total beginner in microsurgery and 5 days later I was able to perform successfully the microsurgical procedure I needed for my research. The course gave me both a theoretical and practical background and it was tailored to my needs. The instructors, René and Irene, were wonderful! They guided me throughout the hands-on training and shared with me tips on how I will improve my technique and experimental protocol. Overall, I strongly recommend this course to anyone interested in establishing a new in vivo model that requires microsurgical skills.”

University of Newcastle, UK

Remie

Attending the 5 day microsurgery course at René Remie’s Surgical Skills Centre has been the single best investment for my research career to date. This is a highly informative, superbly organised course which delivers vast amounts of knowledge and advice. The theoretical lectures are delivered in an interesting and casual manner. Plenty of time remains for the practical learning, using fantastic equipment and ideal surgical stations. Experiencing this ideal set up has helped me at home to set up a surgical suite that is fit for my purpose. There was no limit to the support and advice I received whilst navigating practical microsurgery techniques. No question remained unanswered, and no demonstration was too much to ask. I cannot recommend this course enough. The only regret I have about this course at the RRSSC is that I didn’t attend earlier.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Remie

In June 2018, I attended the 5-day iPRECIO pump implantation course, by far the best course I ever experienced. The balance between theory and practice was perfect and the close guidance during surgical skills training was very helpful. Definitely a recommendation for everyone performing surgeries on mice!

Medical University of Lodz, Poland

Remie

In June 2018, I had the great pleasure to take part in a course organized by RRSSC and Primetech on the implantation of iPrecio mini pumps into the blood vessels of mice and rats. Thanks to Rene’s valuable tips and perfectly organized training, I have almost immediately performed the procedure of the jugular and femoral vein catheterization in mice and rats. Something that previously seemed to be impossible for me. With the help of René, it took around 20 minutes to get the catheter into the vessel of choice. René is a very hospitable man with a passion for science and I admire and appreciate his great knowledge. He can talk about animals, their anatomy, and pharmacology so that the listener can not get away from the lecture. I definitely recommend everyone to come to Almere and take part in one of these rodent training courses.

Manchester University

Remie

I recently attended the Module C 5-day microsurgical course specialising in radiotelemetry implantation at René Remie Surgical Skills Centre.  I would highly recommend any of the courses available to anyone who is looking to begin or improve upon microsurgical techniques in vivo.  The facilities at the RRSSC were fantastic; I was genuinely surprised at how much I gained from the course.  Prof. Remie has extensive knowledge of not only surgical techniques, but also anaesthesia, asepsis and anatomy, not to mention his historical knowledge on the subject!  Having come from a background of some limited surgical experience I found this course extremely helpful. I came away not only feeling competent in the cannulation skills I had learnt throughout the week, but I was also given a lot of useful information to take back to my lab.  The course is incredibly well organised, with each programme being tailored to your individual needs.  Prof. Remie is very approachable should you have any questions (there were many), and really goes out of his way to inform his students of as much as possible, without the feeling of being overwhelmed at all.