A new technique for end‐to‐end ureterostomy in the rat, using an indwelling reabsorbable stent

The restoration of the continuity of the urinary tract represents one of the major problems in rat renal transplantation. End‐to‐end ureterostomy is the most physiologically effective technique; however, it involves noteworthy technical difficulties because of the extremely thin caliber of the ureter in the rat and the high incidence of postoperative hydronephrosis. We describe a new technique for end‐to‐end ureterostomy in the rat, where the use of an absorbable ureteral stent is recommended. A 5‐0 plain catgut thread is used as a stent. The anastomosis is performed under an operating microscope at × 25–40 magnification with interrupted sutures of 11‐0 Vicryl. The use of the indwelling stent facilitates the performance of the anastomosis and yields optimal results. The macroscopical, radiological, and histological controls in a group of rats operated on with this technique showed a very high percentage of success with no complications, a result undoubtedly superior to that obtained with conventional methods.