The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 20, 7-10, Copyright © 1975 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Laboratory evaluation of intraoperative myocardial protection. The need for appropriate animal models
BA Reitz
Clinic of Surgery, National Heart and Lung Institute, Bethesda, Md. 20014.
The investigative laboratory is the appropriate place to evaluate methods
of intraoperative myocardial protection. It is becoming apparent that
diseased myocardium is more susceptible to intraoperative injury than is
normal heart muscle, and so animal models that simulate human cardiac
disease states such as chronic left ventricular hypertrophy should be used
to assess various techniques. Long-term studies on animals surviving
operation are necessary in order to evaluate the chronic effects of various
methods of protection.