I attended the 5-day Module B course with René and Irene in November of 2022. The course had a perfect balance of presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on practice. The presentations were packed with critical information every surgeon should know. I have 25 years of surgical experience, but my week at the RRSSC showed me how much more there is to learn in this field. René is a wealth of knowledge and I learned tremendously throughout the course. I really enjoyed my week and am very grateful I had the opportunity to attend such a great course. I highly recommend it, whether you are a novice, intermediate or experienced surgeon. Thank you! – Andree Lapierre

On Monday, I arrived at RRSSC without any microsurgical knowledge. On Friday, I was able to perform the implantation of a telemetry device into the carotid artery of the mouse. René and Irene really do a great job at teaching complex topics on a personal level that makes it very easy to follow and understand. 10/10 would recommend it.

I took a 5-day course on Microsurgery and Experimental Research Techniques in Aug. 2022. Prof. Rene is highly knowledgeable and helpful. The course was tailored to what I needed. I definitely recommend this course to those who like to learn about microsurgery techniques. Somayeh Ezzatpanah

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.

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”.

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 …

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.

“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.”

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.

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!