Technique for cardiopulmonary bypass in the goat

The goat is an ideal animal for intracardiac surgical investigation. The animal is docile and easy to care for; it has an ideal heart size, a high cardiac output and a long life expectancy. The animal tolerates cardiopulmonary bypass well and does not require blood transfusion. Anoxic cardiac arrest is tolerated for up to 35 minutes. Initial experience in 36 animals with operations on the right side of the heart resulted in a 72% long-term survival.