title: Face transplantation in rats. Reproducibility of the experimental model in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the reproducibility of the experimental model of face allotransplantation in rats in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen rats were operated, nine-nine donors recipients. Animals underwent transplantation of the left hemiface, with periorbital and scalp. Transplants were made from donor Wistar rats to recipients Lewis rats. Flaps were based on the common carotid artery and the external jugular vein of the donor animal and the anastomosis in the recipient area was performed in common carotid artery (end-to-side) and in external jugular vein (end-to-end).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the nine recipient animals operated, six survived and three progressed to death in the first days after surgery (survival rate = 67%). The mean time of the procedure was 252 minutes and the mean time of flap ischemia was 95 minutes. The five surviving animals were sacrificed at 14 days, in good general condition and without signs of tissue rejection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experimental model of face allotransplantation in rats is reproducible in our midst. Duration of surgery, time of flap ischemia, animal survival rate and complications observed were similar to those described in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio de Freitas
authors.initials: Fde F
authors.lastname: Busnardo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Soler
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Coltro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Vitoriano
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Olivan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guilherme Cardinali
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Barreiro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel Rossine
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcus Castro
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gemperli
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000601:surgery; D005145:Face; D054445:Facial Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000601:surgery; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D061646:Operative Time; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012535:Scalp / Q000637:transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous