title: An easy and safe model of kidney transplantation in rats.
abstract: A technical innovation of a novel ureter implantation technique on rat kidney allograft transplantation is described. The left kidney graft is transplanted heterotopically into the left infrarenal position, using vascular conduits from donor abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava in continuity to renal vessels, to perform arterial and venous end-to-side anastomoses to the recipient vessels. A new ureter implantation technique was employed by placing a purse-string suture around the uretero-vesical anastomosis and ligated at the end of the anastomosis to invaginate the ureter and relieve tension at its junction to the bladder. This functions as an anti-reflux procedure, also preventing urine leakage. Bilateral native kidneys nephrectomy of the recipient was performed a week post-transplant. This model of rat kidney transplantation was associated with high survival rate (87%) 2 weeks post-transplant with no evidence of vascular anastomoses complications or other technical failures. The technique is easy, reliable, and can be routinely applied to other microvascular transplantation procedures.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece. tkaratz@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karatzas
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xanthos
authors.forename: Wervinston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Faria
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gandia
authors.forename: Alkiviades
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kostakis
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D015996:Survival Rate; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures