Effect of left ventricular akinesis on cardiac performance. Experimental study using a new model

The understanding of left ventricular failure and cardiogenic shock after myocardial infarction has been facilitated by a two-component model proposed by Swan et al. which views the left ventricle as consisting of a clearly defined infarcted portion and a normally functioning remainder. Although appealing, this model is difficult to substantiate experimentally. We describe a new experimental preparation in which the infarct is stimulated by replacing part of the left ventricular wall with an inert patch of Dacron material. In 18 dogs studied after replacing varying amounts of left ventricular contractile mass with noncontractile patches, the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure rose in proportion to the size of the patch. Contractility was unchanged, and overall left ventricular pump function was normal. These data support the conceptual model. The experimental preparation is applicable to other studies of left ventricular akinesis.