To begin, place an anesthetized mouse that has undergone lung transplantation in a right lateral decubitus position. Swab the chest skin with 0.75%iodine and 70%ethanol mixture. Reopen the left thoracotomy through the third intercostal space.
Now remove a portion of the skin and soft tissue over the left thoracotomy site and open the thoracotomy. Clamp the ribs for 10 seconds to thrombose any microvasculature. Next resect portions of the third to fifth ribs to create an imaging window.
Use an electrocautery pen to stop any bleeding from the rib edges. Now, place a small bump of folded gauze under the right chest. With cotton swabs lift the lung graft out of the chest and place the lower aspect of the lung onto a one by three centimeter wide strip of saline soaked gauze.
