The use of an operating microscope in rat and mouse liver surgery makes it possible to
obtain new experimental models and improve the already existing macrosurgical models. From
the pioneer works of Sun Lee in the early 1960s through today, microsurgery has gained
acceptance as an integral component of liver research. Portosystemic anastomosis, partial portal
vein ligation, cholestasis, hepatectomies and liver transplantation stand out among the most
frequently used liver microsurgical techniques in the rat and mouse. In essence, the experimental
model resulting from these microsurgical techniques are the most used today in liver research.
