Simplified technic for orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat.

A new surgical procedure has been developed to simplify the difficult, complex technic of orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat that we previously described. This procedure eliminates the hepatic artery anastomosis and specifically changes the sequence of anastomoses of the vena cava and portal vein to minimize splanchnic congestion and hepatic ischemia. This has simplified and shortened the operation and has eliminated the need for an extracorporeal portosystemic shunt. Seventy-two per cent operative survival was achieved in fifty-seven orthotopic liver transplantations. This simplified technic of orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat can be applied widely to studies of liver physiology, immunologic rejection, and liver preservation.