Multivisceral cluster transplantation in the rat.

Transplantation of multivisceral grafts has evolved recently as a new therapeutic modality for hepatopancreatobiliary malignancies. The mutual interactions between the liver, pancreas, small bowel and the recipient organism after cluster grafting are not clearly understood and deserve further experimental evaluation. We present a technique for combined hepatopancreaticoduodenal cluster transplantation in the rat. The cluster grafts consisted of a pancreaticoduodenal graft and an orthotopic arterialized liver graft. A separate arterial anastomosis of the liver and a bile duct anastomosis were not necessary. Bile and exocrine pancreas secretions drained over the duodenal conduit of the graft into the recipients jejunum via an end-to-side anastomosis.