Hepatic arterial reconstruction for orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat

Abstract

Background Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) models in rats have been investigated in many studies. The reconstruction of hepatic artery is required for reliable OLT and also requires advanced skills. Methods The hepatic artery reconstructions by a hand-suture technique and a new method using a micro T-tube were investigated in rats with a whole-liver syngeneic graft. Operative time and postoperative patency were compared between the hand-suture and micro T-tube techniques. Results Our technique using the micro T-tube shortened the operative time of recipient surgery compared with the hand-suture technique and prolonged the operative time for the donor. The patency ratio was maintained at 24 h after OLT with hand suturing but was significantly reduced with the micro T-tube, which had a patency ratio of 0.83 only up to 6 h after OLT. Conclusion The micro T-tube technique may have potential usefulness in the rat OLT model but requires further modification.