Anaesthetic management of baboons undergoing heterotopic porcine cardiac xenotransplantation

A detailed anaesthetic technique for baboons (Papio anubis) undergoing hete rotopic abdominal cardiac xenotransplantation is described. Twenty-two babo ons served as transplant recipients. Donors were either crossbred farm pigs (Sus scrofa) (n = 4) or transgenic pigs (Sus scrofa) (n = 18) expressing h uman complement regulatory proteins on the endothelium. Intra-operative man agement was complicated by the physiological consequences of infrarenal, ab dominal aortic cross-clamping, in addition to the immunological sequelae re lated to cross-species transplantation. In choosing anaesthetics for this p rocedure, we considered the need for maximal cardiac stability throughout a long surgical procedure that required abdominal aortic cross-clamping to f acilitate the implantation of an oversized porcine cardiac graft. Baboons r eceived a balanced anaesthetic consisting of inhaled isoflurane in oxygen, intravenous fentanyl and intravenous pancuronium. The pharmacological techn iques employed were found to be safe and reliable and were well tolerated b y our recipients without any significant side-effects.