title: Creation of ventricular septal defects on the beating heart in a new pig model.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. kozlik-f@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kozlik-Feldmann
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sodian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aumann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rassoulian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hinterseer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Netz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular; D013552:Swine