Prolonged survival in fetal rabbit surgery

Timing and outcome of antenatal surgical intervention is being explored using fetal animal models. Models that are currently used range from larger animals with fewer offspring and higher cost to smaller animals with larger litters and lower cost. The rabbit is an ideal 'small' animal model for experimentation in the third trimester, with a large litter, short gestation and a relatively large fetus. This paper reports methods by which prolonged survival (greater than 110 days) may be achieved in as many as 60% of operated fetuses following complex fetal surgery in the rabbit.