TECHNIQUES OF INTESTINAL TRANSPLANTATION IN RAT

Two surgical models of intestinal transplantation in the rat are described. One is the implantation of fetal and newborn in-testine as free grafts into the omentum of adult recipients, the other the adult intestine transplantation as an accessory graft using vascular anastomoses. A hundred and sixteen small-bowel transplantations were done; 36 of which were fetal intestine (group I), 40 of newborn intestine (group II), and 40 of adult intestine (group III). In the fetal and newborn intes-tinal transplantation, we emphasize the practices that al-lowed us to avoid ischemic and traumatic injury to the graft. In the adult intestine transplantation with vascular anastomo-ses, we heighten the modifications in the surgical technique that made the operation easier and the strategies used to prevent hypothermia and hypovolemic shock. Once experi-enced with the two chosen surgical techniques, transplanta