Abstract
The surgical model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has been utilized in exploring treatments and innovative therapies, such as tracheal occlusion (TO). The rabbit is an excellent surgical model compared to others due to lower cost, ease of care, short gestational period, and large litter size. This model is also ideal in studying lung hypoplasia of CDH because rabbit lung development is most similar to humans as alveolarization begins prior to birth and continues post-natally. However, the surgical technique in creating a rabbit model of CDH is quite difficult and information is lacking on how to establish this model. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to describe:•Surgical technique in establishing a rabbit model of CDH and TO•Perioperative care for pregnant rabbit does
Highlights
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a birth defect that occurs in every 2000–4000 live births [1,2]
There is a need for fetal treatment that will stimulate lung growth and minimize lung hypoplasia in CDH fetuses to lower the risk of respiratory compromise [1]
We found that adding sham fetuses and increasing the number of operative fetuses to 6 increased the operative time and surgical stress to the doe and fetuses, and resulted in a higher mortality rate
Summary
A Division of General Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada b Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada c Division of Paediatric General Surgery, Children’s Hospital London Health Science Centre, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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