Storage of amputated parts prior to replantation--an experimental study with rabbit ears.

Forty mature rabbit ears were completely amputated and stored by different methods for 24 hours and then replanted. This study suggests that there is no significant difference among conventional methods of storage as long as the part is not frozen or allowed to become normothermic for more than 2 hours. Equal viability rates in replantation surgery may be expected by storing the severed part by wrapping it in a cloth moistened in Ringer's lactate solution or normal saline and placing the packet on ice, or by total immersion of the severed part in either of these solutions contained in a plastic bag that is placed on ice. Undesirable freezing is less likely to occur by the immersion method.