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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Modified Cuff Technique for Mouse Cervical Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Model
Published on: February 7, 2022
[Modification of Heron's technique for cervical heterotopic cardiac xenotransplantation]
Xueshan Huang1, Xuan Liu, Daozhong Chen
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Affiliated Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou Fujian, 350001, P. R. China.
Objective:
To improve the Heron's technique for heterotopic cardiac transplantation in rats by cuff vessel anastomosis in some aspects and successfully establish the simplified model of cervical cardiac xenotransplantation from guinea pigs donor to SD rats recipients.
Methods:
The donors were 64 male guinea pigs, whose weight ranged from 250 to 350 g; the recipients were 64 male SD rats, whose weight ranged from 300 to 350 g. The guinea pigs donor's ascending aorta and pulmonary artery were anastomosed to SD rats recipient's right common carotid artery and external jugular vein respectively with a self-made "sleeve" anastomosis. The modified cuff technique of heterotopic grafting is described in detail.
Results:
64 consecutive successful transplantations have been performed by single surgeon were done with negligible operative risk. No anastomosis leakage nor vessel obstruction. The total time of surgical procedure were 45 to 60 minutes. The new technique allowed vascular anastomoses to be completed in 2 to 5 minutes. The total cold ischemia time for donor heart was 14 minutes in average.
Conclusion:
This modified Heron's technique was a simple, economical, practicable, reliable and high reproducible model can be operated by surgeons with minimal training in microvascular surgery, and be applied to various transplantation immunological studies.
