Creation of ventricular septal defects on the beating heart in a new pig model.
OBJECTIVE
So far, surgical and interventional therapies for muscular ventricular septal defects (mVSDs) beyond the moderator band have had their limitations. Thus, alternative therapeutic strategies should be developed. We present a new animal model for the evaluation of such strategies.


METHODS
In a pig model (n = 9), anterolateral thoracotomy was performed for exposure of the left ventricle. mVSDs were created under two- and three-dimensional echocardiography with a 7.5-mm sharp punch instrument, which was forwarded via a left ventricular puncture without extracorporeal circulation.


RESULTS
Creation of mVSDs was successful in all animals (n = 9) confirmed by echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements and autopsy. The defects were located in the midmuscular (n = 4), apical (n = 1), inlet (n = 2) and anterior part (n = 2) of the muscular septum. All animals were hemodynamically stable for further procedures. The diameter and shunt volume of the mVSDs were 4.8-7.3 mm (mean: 5.9 mm) and 12.9-41.3% (mean: 22.1%), respectively. Autopsy confirmed in all animals the creation of a substantial defect.


CONCLUSIONS
The described new technique for creation of an mVSD on the beating heart in a pig model is suitable for the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies for mVSD closure.
Kozlik-Feldmann
R
R
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. kozlik-f@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Lang
N
N
Sodian
R
R
Aumann
R
R
Rassoulian
D
D
Hinterseer
M
M
Schmitz
C
C
Netz
H
H
D000818:Animals; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular; D013552:Swine