The rabbit as an experimental animal for tracheal surgery

The circumferential resection of the trachea with end-to-end anastomosis is a well-established clinical procedure. Still, some problems remain to be solved, such as the choice of optimal suture material. Dogs are primarily used for experimental work in this field, but are difficult to obtain. This operation was performed on nine rabbits, eight of whom survived to the preplanned date of sacrifice. Two of the survivors were found to have severe stricture at the anastomosis. This study indicates that the rabbit is a suitable experimental animal for circumferential resection and anastomosis of the trachea.