Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
[Techniques in fetal rabbit surgery]
Objective:
Experimental fetal surgery has been a popular way to study growth and development and wound healing. The rabbit continues to be a reasonable animal model. The key to success of the experiment lies in keeping the survival rate of the operated animal above 80 percent. In this paper a simple experimental method for fetus surgery in rabbits is described.
Methods:
Intravenous thiopental sodium is used for general anesthesia. Surgery is performed inside the uterus through hysterotomy or with the caudal part of the fetus out of the uterus. Amniotic fluid is restituted by instillation of warm saline at 37 degrees C. Special care is taken to suture the amnion.
Results:
Using these techniques carefully, we have had 90 percent of success in fetal surgery experiment.
Conclusion:
A technically simple procedure has been developed for fetal rabbit surgery.
