Technique for heterotopic pig heart xenotransplantation in primates

The primate is a commonly utilized model for the human immune response afte r heart transplantation. This report describes our experience with heteroto pic abdominal transplantation of porcine hearts into primate recipients. Ab dominal graft placement was surprisingly well tolerated, and we found this approach to be particularly useful in the setting of significant donor-reci pient size mismatch. Continuous monitoring with an implantable monitoring s ystem facilitated assessment of graft viability in awake recipients; progre ssive graft bradycardia and decreasing QRS amplitude were predictive of ens uing graft failure. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.