Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Apr 27.
Published in final edited form as: Lab Anim (NY). 2020 Oct 20;49(11):320–334. doi: 10.1038/s41684-020-00659-x

Table 1 |.

Troubleshooting advice

Step Problem Possible reason Solution
4 Bleeding during dissection of the left common renal arterial bifurcation Renal vein rupture Mild bleeding can be treated with gentle compression using a cotton tip
If excessive bleeding occurs, the animal needs to be excluded from the experiment
Unable to dissect the renal arterial bifurcation Renal arterial malformation Dissect the bifurcation along the left main renal artery. The bifurcation may be close or distal to the renal hilum area
If there is no renal arterial bifurcation, the animal needs to be excluded from the experiment
5 Lack of ischemia in the left renal upper pole The ligation is not tight enough Religate the left renal superior branch artery
14 The REJV is not long enough for AVF creation Insufficient REJV dissection has been performed Continue to dissect the REJV until it enters the muscle
If the distal end is ligated, the animal should be excluded from the experiment
The REJV has been ligated by mistake The REJV is larger than the branch vein
15 Bleeding after removing the sternocleidomastoid muscle There is at least one vessel supplying the sternocleidomastoid muscle The muscle can be cauterized using an electronic cutter
Before cutting the muscle, ligate the ends using 6–0 sutures to decrease bleeding
17 Poor patency after creation of the AVF The anastomosis is too small Before creating the AVF anastomosis, the ReJV should be gently perfused using heparinized saline
Heparinization is not adequate Systemic heparinization of the animal and endovascular flushing with heparinized saline are helpful to prevent thrombosis after AVF creation
18 Bleeding after AVF creation The stitches are not tight enough Mild bleeding can be treated with gentle compression using a cotton tip
Excessive bleeding requires the inflow artery to be clamped. Place an extra suture if needed or exclude the animal from the experiment
29 and 30 The ReJV is not long enough to perform the angioplasty Insufficient outflow vessel dissection has been performed Continue to dissect the ReJV and clear the pectoralis major muscle
Exclude the animal from the experiment
The puncture point is not at the end of the outflow vessel The puncture point should be chosen to be as far away as possible from the anastomosis
33 Failure to perform the angioplasty The balloon catheter cannot be advanced to the anastomosis The surface of the balloon catheter needs to be soaked in heparinized saline before performing the angioplasty. If there is resistance to advancing the balloon catheter, gentle rotation will be helpful
The balloon catheter slides out during the angioplasty During the angioplasty procedure, the balloon catheter should be fixed by microvascular forceps
The angioplasty-treated vessel ruptures after the angioplasty The angioplasty needs to be performed at designated pressure using an inflation device
34 Bleeding after angioplasty The sutures are not tight enough, or a suture is loose Mild bleeding can be treated with gentle compression using a cotton tip
Excessive bleeding requires the inflow artery to be clamped. Place an extra suture if needed or exclude the animal from the experiment