Liver transplantation in pigs: a model for studying reperfusion injury.

A model of orthotopic liver transplantation in pigs was developed to investigate reperfusion injury of the liver. To have direct access to the liver for organ monitoring a relaparotomy was performed 6 h after revascularization. The details of modification in anesthesia and surgical technique are given. Salient features of the technique include (1) the use of an extremely short cuff of the donor suprahepatic caval vein, (2) the use of a central venous catheter fixed in a hepatic vein, and (3) the use of an aortic graft for standardized arterial reconstruction. Twenty-nine transplantations were performed. The total anesthetic time was 13.28 +/- 1.45 h and the operative time was 10.06 +/- 0.77 h. The animals withstood this long procedure remarkably well.