Technical aspects of intestinal transplantation in the rat

The microsurgical technique for rat intestinal transplantation used in our laboratory is described. A 25-cm segment of jejunum is harvested from the donor on a pedicle of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV). These vessels are then anastomosed end-to-side with 10-0 nylon to the infrarenal aorta and inferior vena cava of the recipient. The bowel ends are placed in isoperistaltic continuity with the host intestine. The procedure was performed in 423 animals with an 86 percent success rate and has been used to investigate all aspects of small bowel transplantation. The technique is described in detail with schematic drawings and intraoperative photographs, with the goal of making the procedure more understandable and accessible to other investigators wishing to study vascularized intestinal transplantation in the rat.