A Carrel patch technique for renal transplantation in cats.

Abstract

To evaluate the feasibility of a Carrel patch method in feline renal transplantation. Descriptive case series. Nine healthy donor cats and 9 client recipient cats with chronic renal failure. Renal transplantation was performed in 9 cats with chronic renal failure after collection of a donor's left kidney with a Carrel patch technique. A patch of donor aortic wall was removed with either 2 or 1 renal artery (ies) (n = 1 and 8 cats, respectively) central to the patch, with a cuff of tissue (≤1 mm) protruding from the base of the vessels. The Carrel patch was implanted in recipient cats with an end-to-side artery-to-aorta anastomosis, in a simple-continuous pattern of 9-0 nylon. The renal vein and ureter were implanted as previously described. All donors and recipients survived surgery without vascular complication. The Carrel patch is a novel approach allowing the harvest of kidneys with multiple renal arteries. The technique also simplified the implant procedure, potentially decreasing the risks of bleeding and thrombosis.