Learning curve, surgical results and operative complications for kidney transplantation in mice

Murine transplant models of vascularized organs are very useful for immunobiological studies. However, the technique of kidney transplant is complex and very demanding. Here, results of the first successive 50 syngeneic transplantations performed by an experienced microsurgeon are reported. Complications and survival rates were recorded and analyzed over the different training phases. While the operative time and warm ischemia time dramatically reduced after 40 transplants (warm ischemia after 40 transplants 33.1+/-5.0 min vs. 55.2+/-4.6 min for the first 10 transplants, P<0.001), the average early vascular anastomosis patency rate markedly increased (80% vs. 10% in the first than transplants, P<0.01). Intraoperative failures were 56% (n=28), death during the first 7 days was 18% (n=9), and death after contralateral nephrectomy (>day 7) was 10% (n=5). Only 8% (n=4) of the animals survived long-term. Despite large experience with microsurgery, there is a relative long learning curve for mouse kidney transplantation.