A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft

This protocol is the first to describe how therapeutics can be effectively administered to a whole cardiac allograft in the large animal model of cardiac transplantation. The main advantage of this protocol is that it allows investigators to test the effects of a therapeutic on a whole cardiac allograft over extended periods of time following transplantation. This technique can be used to investigate interventions that prevent cardiac allograft rejection, primary graft dysfunction, minimize the need for postoperative immunosuppression or extend the lifetime of a cardiac allograft.

Optimizing exposure is the most challenging part of the transplant procedure and requires multiple team members to complete. Similarly, experienced perfusionists are needed to coordinate and monitor ex vivo perfusion. To begin, make a 20 to 30 centimeter long incision using the number 10 blade from the manubrium down to the xiphoid, depending on the size of the pig.