Pancreas transplantation using non-suture cuff technique in the neck.

To get a successful pancreas transplantation in a rat model, we performed heterotopic pancreas transplantation with non-suture cuff technique to neck vessels. As the graft was placed in the neck, we could avoid the clamping of systemic circulation which is essential but detriment to the rat during vascular anastomosis in intraabdominal grafting. The diameter of the portal vein was enlarged to prevent outflow block after transplantation. The cuff was fixed by fat clay during anastomosis to perform vascular anastomosis easily. As a result the success rates was 16/20, 80%. 16 rats survived more than 30 days and maintained serum glucose level within 200 mg/dl throughout the experiment. The heterotopic pancreas transplantation using non-suture cuff technique to the neck vessels is safe, reliable and recommended as the experimental model using the rat.