Objective:To improve the technique of rat unilateral orthotopic lung transplantation and establish a stable animal model. Methods:Forty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 23 pairs for donors and recipients. Cuff techniques were introduced in anastomosis of bronchus,pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein in the operation. Results:In the 23 transplantations,the operation was successfully carried out in 20 cases and failed in 3 cases. The reasons of failure were as follows:disruption of pulmonary vein,disruption of pulmonary artery and bleeding after operation. Time for lung harvesting,cuff techniques and anastomosis was(11.6±2.1)min,(13.6±2.4)min and(17.7±3.5)min respectively. The graft function was monitored by arterial blood gas analysis,thoracic X ray and pathological examination. Recipients after transplantation showed excellent graft function. Conclusion:The cuff techniques mentioned in this study would be more suitable for establishment of rat unilateral orthotopic lung transplantation model.