Orthotopic Porcine Kidney Transplantation: A Technique to Transplant Graft Kidney in Porcine Model

Orthotopic kidney autotransplantation is a surgical procedure of transplanting a healthy kidney graft from the same donor at the original anatomical location in the organism's body.

To perform this procedure, take an anesthetized pig with its left kidney removed previously. Place it in the supine position. Make a midline incision exposing the abdominal cavity. Visualize the right kidney and the connected right ureter. Additionally, locate the oxygenated blood-carrying abdominal aorta, which branches to the renal artery. Similarly, the renal vein drains deoxygenated blood from the kidney into the inferior vena cava.

Clamp the ureter and renal vessels. Administer a vasoconstrictor - a chemical that constricts the vessels, reducing the blood flowing through them to prevent excess blood loss in the subsequent steps.

Perform the right kidney nephrectomy - kidney removal from the body. Replace it with the pre-isolated healthy kidney graft from the same pig. Anastomose the renal artery of the graft kidney to the aorta and the renal vein to the inferior vena cava. Unclamp the renal vessels and ureter and apply a vasodilator. These steps help to re-initiate blood flow in the grafted kidney.

Inject a diuretic solution into the kidney that aids urine formation to maintain blood pressure. Suture the abdominal cavity. Use Doppler ultrasound to monitor blood flow in kidneys. A successfully transplanted kidney shows normal blood flow in the renal vessels.