Decreasing surgical complications in porcine kidney autotransplantation by a new technique of implantation

Autotransplantation of kidneys in animal models enables the examination of ischemic and reperfusion injuries and of the effects of different treatment modalities without interference of immunological processes. Descriptions of the operative procedures of autotransplantation, although often used, are incomplete. An experiment with German landrace pigs was performed to compare the effects of retrograde oxygen persufflation, machine perfusion, and cold storage on warm ischemically damaged kidneys. The development of the autotransplantation model for porcine kidneys and the technical modifications to overcome the experienced drawbacks are described.