Improved technique for one-stage bilateral lung autotransplantation as a model of total lung denervation

A technical improvement in pulmonary venous anastomosis is presented for one-stage bilateral lung autotransplantation in dogs which can be avoid both narrowing and loss of diatensibility due to scar formation on anastomotic lines which inevitably resulted in functional defects after the operation. In these procedures bilateral pulmonary arteries were anastomosed with using of angioplastic techniques and both right and left pulmonary veins are sutured orthotopically as single atrial cuff. Of 7 dogs undergoing one-stage bilateral lung replantation, 4 were long term survivors. As a result this experimental model can be used for functional and physiologic studies in total denervation.