Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2025
Orthotopic Left Lung Transplantation in Rats
Published on: July 3, 2025
Improvement of surgical techniques for orthotopic single lung transplantation in rats
Peigen Gao1,2, Chongwu Li1,2, Ye Ning1,2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Although orthotopic single lung transplantation in rats has long been established, this model is still highly challenging. Therefore, we made several modifications in anesthesia, lung extraction, vascular clamp, and transplantation procedures for this model.
Methods:
Fifty cases of rat left lung transplantation were performed using traditional procedures and modified surgical techniques, respectively. Two hundred Sprague Dawley male rats, half as donors and half as recipients, were randomized equally to the two groups. The modifications included orotracheal intubation via a video laryngoscope, retrograde perfusion following anterograde perfusion, a Rummel tourniquet for the occlusion of pulmonary vessels, flushing the vessels and cuffs before anastomosis with heparin, and a simple pleural drainage. The surgical time, warm and cold ischemia time, vascular complications, and survival rate on postoperative day seven were compared between the two groups.
Results:
The modified surgical techniques significantly reduced the surgical duration (35.7 vs. 46.3 min, P<0.01), warm ischemia time (16.3 vs. 28.8 min, P<0.01), and vascular complications (2% vs. 16%, P=0.04). Moreover, the survival rate on postoperative day 7 was higher in the improved surgical techniques group (96% vs. 80%, P=0.03).
Conclusions:
We described the improvement of surgical techniques for orthotopic single lung transplantation in rats, which could shorten anastomoses time, reduce vascular complications, and improve survival rate.
