A Closed‐Chest Pig Model of Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia

Abstract

The goal of this study was to develop and explore a closed-chest animal model of sustained VT. Seven of 11 domestic pigs had successful induction of myocardiai infarction by injection of agarose gel microbeads into the left anterior descending coronary artery tbrougb an inflated balloon angioplasty catheter. Four of the first five pigs died and seem to represent a “learning experience.” During a 3- to 50-day follow-up period, each pig underwent 1 -3 electropbysiological studies. Sustained, monomorpbic VT was induced 1–4 times in 5 of the 7 pigs (a total of 19 episodes), was reproducible during the same study in all pigs, and could be repetitively induced during successive studies in some. Ventricular fibrillation was induced less frequently (nine episodes) and was successfully terminated by DC shock in eight episodes. We conclude tbat a closed-cbest pig model of VT is feasible and is associated witb a relatively bigb induction rate of sustained, monomorpbic, and reproducible VT and a relatively low mortality rate.