Value of Omentopexy in Establishing an Adventitious Circulation in the Normal Kidney. ∗

The following preliminary statement is based on studies which have been in progress at intervals for over 3 years. Fourteen normal dogs varying in age from one year and 2 months to animals in their sixth year have been used for experimental purposes. Under morphine-ether anesthesia the abdomen was entered through a left rectus muscle-splitting incision and the left kidney exposed. The kidney was delivered from its bed of perirenal fat, the capsule incised down to the cortical substance over the length of the kidney's outer convex border including the poles. The renal vessels were digitally compressed by an assistant. The cortex was then incised for distances in the respective kidneys varying from 3-8 cm, the incision extending through the cortex and into the medullary substance, but not sufficiently deep to penetrate into the pelvis of the kidney. Into such incisions the omentum was introduced and the cortical incision closed with fine, interrupted chromic cat gut sutures. Those sutures passing through the omentum were lightly tied in order to prevent compression of the omental vessels. The partially deflected capsule of the kidney was then brought up and sutured over the capsular incision. The abdominal incision was closed in the usual manner.

At intervals varying from 15 days to 3 months the animals were again anesthetized and 2 types of procedures followed. The omentum was either tied off from the renal cortex followed by the removal of an eliptically shaped mass of cortical and medullary tissue containing the omental implant or the entire kidney was removed. In the latter event one or more of the omental vessels were immediately injected with India ink. Following both types of procedure the renal tissue was fixed in Zenker's solution and imbedded in paraffin or celloidin. The paraffin impregnated tissue was used to obtain thin sections 3 to 8 micra, while the tissue imbedded in celloidin was employed for thicker sections arranged serially.