Development of an Optimal Diaphragmatic Hernia Rabbit Model for Pediatric Thoracoscopic Training

Our objectives were to standarize the procedure needed to reproduce a similar surgical scene which a pediatric surgeon would face on repairing a Bochdalek hernia in newborns and to define the optimal time period for hernia development that achieve a realistic surgical scenario with minimimal animal suffering. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits weighing 3–3.5 kg were divided into four groups depending on the time frame since hernia creation to thoracoscopic repair: 48 h, 72 h, 96 h and 30 days. Bochdalek trigono was identified and procedures for hernia creation and thoracoscopic repair were standarized. Blood was collected for hematology (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin and hematocrit), biochemistry (blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase) and gas analysis (arterial blood pH, partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbón dioxide, oxygen saturation and bicarbonate) at baseline and before the surgial repairment. Glucocorticoid metabolites concentration in faeces was measured. Thoracoscopy video recordings were evaluated by six pediatric surgeons and rated from 0 to 10 according to similarities with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in newborn and with its thoracoscopic approach. Statistical methods included the analysis of variance, and comparisons between groups were followed by a post-hoc Tukey’s test. Fourty -eight h showed to be the optimal time frame to obtain a diaphragmatic hernia similar to newborn scenario from a surgical point of view with minimal stress for the animals.