A new penile allotransplantation model in rats

The aim of this study is to describe a penile allotransplantation model in rats which can be used in both sex-change and penile replantation experimental studies. The study divided into two groups. In the first group of study (n=14), anatomical dissection was performed in genital and inguinal regions of male and female rats, and penile composite grafts harvested from male rats transplanted as grafts to female rats without any microvascular anastomosis. In the second group (n=14), penile composite grafts harvested from male rats transplanted to female rats with microvascular anastomosis between saphenous artery and vein and bulbus penis and dorsal penile vein respectively. After completition of vascular anastomosis, uretral anastomosis also performed. Direct observation and microangiography were used to assess the viability of the transplanted penile tissues. All of the penile tissues transplanted as grafts (n=7) necrosed while all of the penile tissues transplanted with microvascular anastomosis survived after postoperative 14th day. In this study, a penile allotransplantation model between sexes has been introduced which has never been described in the literature before.