Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to salvage the study population from the fatality that occurs due to iatrogenic injury to the thoracic cavity’s pleural membrane.
Materials and Methods: An experimental study of temporomandibular joint arthroplasty with costochondral graft was carried out on 72 healthy ‘Oryctolagus cuniculus’ species of male rab¬bits. The rabbits were distributed into two age groups: growing (3–4 months) and adult (12–18 months). All the procedures were carried out under general anesthesia with xylazine hydrochlo-ride and ketamine hydrochloride after calculating the doses, maintained by halothane and O2 inhalations. Out of 72 rabbits, 33 rabbits had accidental perforation of the pleural membrane observed that required a chest drain.
Results: In this study, 21 (63.64%) rabbits received chest drain and salvaged. The rest of the rab¬bits (n = 12; 36.36%) that did not receive any chest drain and died. Most of the rabbits (n = 17; 81%) were under the growing group, weighing less than 2 kg and four (19%) were adult rabbits.
Conclusion: This manual chest drain is life-saving for rabbits. It is a new addition to the advance¬ment of thoracic surgery on animals. It is cost-effective and safe. The developed customized drain¬age system may make it easier to harvest the costochondral graft-related experiments.

Key words: Rabbit; Pleural injury; Chest drain; Life-saving