title: Murine cervical heart transplantation model using a modified cuff technique.
abstract: Mouse models are of special interest in research since a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies and commercially defined inbred and knockout strains are available to perform mechanistic in vivo studies. While heart transplantation models using a suture technique were first successfully developed in rats, the translation into an equally widespread used murine equivalent was never achieved due the technical complexity of the microsurgical procedure. In contrast, non-suture cuff techniques, also developed initially in rats, were successfully adapted for use in mice(1-3). This technique for revascularization involves two major steps I) everting the recipient vessel over a polyethylene cuff; II) pulling the donor vessel over the formerly everted recipient vessel and holding it in place with a circumferential tie. This ensures a continuity of the endothelial layer, short operating time and very high patency rates(4). Using this technique for vascular anastomosis we performed more than 1,000 cervical heart transplants with an overall success rate of 95%. For arterial inflow the common carotid artery and the proximal aortic arch were anastomosed resulting in a retrograde perfusion of the transplanted heart. For venous drainage the pulmonary artery of the graft was anastomosed with the external jugular vein of the recipient(5). Herein, we provide additional details of this technique to supplement the video.
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oberhuber
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Benno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cardini
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kofler
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritschl
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oellinger
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sucher
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneeberger
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pratschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; gbranda2@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandacher
authors.affiliation: Center of Operative Medicine, Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maglione
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal